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Keeping an Eye on my Posture

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Hello,

Did you all watch the eclipse? Okay, okay, I will admit we were in the path of totality, and I must say seeing the moon completely cover the sun was really cool! I felt like I was on a different planet for a moment. It was quite intriguing. Our whole neighborhood said wow at the same time. It was a moment for sure. 

I have so many health topics and things that I am working on and dealing with. I will be sharing my journey with perimenopause in a later post but today I wanted to share my battle with posture. 

photo via: L. Shockley 

 

I have been trying to pay attention to how I sit and stand. I noticed in a mirror a few weeks ago how my neck looked when I stood naturally, and I did not like it. I had it on my list to try to do some research on sitting and standing better then I (by miracle) received an email with an article from my doctor’s office about tips to help you fix your sitting and standing posture! Funny right!

Here are the tips:

  1. Be mindful of our posture: It might sound simplistic, but being more aware of your posture during your everyday activities can bring about noticeable improvements. Whether you’re carrying grocery bags, lifting boxes in the garage or scrolling on your phone, being mindful of how you are holding, supporting and moving your body can help you make small tweaks to improve your posture and prevent injury.
  2. Stay active: Regular physical activity will help keep your joints, muscles and ligaments moving and prevent stiffness, which can lead to poor posture. Exercises that emphasize body awareness, such as tai chi and yoga, can be especially beneficial in improving posture.
  3. Strengthen your core: can also help ensure the muscles support your back, pelvis, neck and stomach are strong. Exercises such as side planks, hip ups, twists can help build abdominal strength for improved posture support.
  4. Maintain a healthy weight: Carrying excess weight around your midsection can weaken or strain muscles that support your back, pelvis and spine.
  5. Tuck your chin: Want to feel a little bit taller? Stand straight and then slightly tuck your chin, pushing the top of your head to the sky. This decompresses and elongates the neck, helping alleviate neck tightness and ensuring you are reaching your full height potential.
  6. Select Posture-Friendly shoes: Your footwear can have an impact on your posture as well. While sky-high heels might be in vogue, they can wreak havoc on your posture. Shoes with a high heel cause your back to overarch and increase pressure on your knees and back. Save heels for special occasions and instead opt for flats or low-heeled shoes for our day-to-day look.
  7. Evaluate Your Desk Ergonomics: If you spend all day at a desk on a computer, the arrangement and height of your desk, computer, and chair can play a big role in your daily posture. Evaluate your work environment to ensure your computer is at eye level, your feet rest on the floor and your knees and elbows are bent roughly at 90 degrees.
  8. Switch it Up: Neither standing nor sitting for extended periods is ideal for the body, so if you sit for long periods during your day, break up the day by taking walks and changing positions to give your body variety. Then, each time you sit again, you’ll have a new opportunity to reset your posture.

Wow, I am loving these tips. I never thought about the shoe tip but now I can see how your shoes would affect your posture. I never thought about the weight in the midsection either but now I can see that. I hope these tips shed some light for some of you as well. I love a good health checklist and I am happy to add this to my blog.

tips by Kate Bayless from Well U

 

The boutique has a new plus-size arrival! The Garden Maxi Dress is a beautiful floral dress perfect for the upcoming spring and summer season!

 

 

 

A Few French Beauty Ideas…

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Hello!

I don’t know about you, but I am hoping to get to the grocery store quickly this weekend. With the 2024 Eclipse hitting my state entirely on Monday, I have a feeling that people are going to be EVERYWHERE! I know that I should be excited, but I am not. I hate extremely large crowds. I just want to get what I need and then get back home!

So…. let’s move on. How about a little Friday beauty? I hope you all enjoyed my recent post about my beauty favorites. I was excited to update that. It’s been a while since I shared my favorite products. 

While I was finishing up the book Joie, I saw that the author shared her favorite beauty products and what the French women use and wear in France. I wanted to share this list with all of you. You may find it quite interesting…

 

photo via: Madame de la Maison (Author Ajiri Aki) 

 

This is a fabulous list of goodies to try out. Most of these I have never heard of. The only product that I have heard of is Shailmar. Do any of you have this? I have always been curious about it since I heard Sigourney Weaver mention it in Working Girl. I shared other French Beauty secrets on the blog. 

Let me know in the comments section below if you have tried any of these products. Have a great weekend, enjoy the eclipse (if you choose), and we’ll chat soon! Oh a new plus size dress will be on the website soon!

 

 

  • Affiliate links attached 

 

I Think of Beauty…

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Good Morning Everyone,

My husband and I had a very quiet Easter weekend. It was our first Easter without the kids home. It felt very different this year, but we rested. I made a pot roast with carrots, potatoes and mashed potatoes. I puttered around the house and got ready for the work week. 

I don’t know about you, but I am a fan of James Clear. Have any of you read his book Atomic Habits? I haven’t but I have heard him on a few podcasts, and I enjoy listening to him. I get his newsletters every week and they are so good! I have shared them with my team. In one of his most recent newsletters, he shared a quote about beauty….

 

photo via Newfields.com

“I think of beauty as an absolute necessity. I don’t think it’s a privilege or an indulgence, it’s not even a quest. I think it’s almost like knowledge, which is to say, it’s what we were born for. I think finding, incorporating and then representing beauty is what humans do. With or without authorities, telling us what it is, I think it would exist in any case. 

That startle and the wonder of being in this place. This overwhelming beauty- some of it is natural, some of it is man-made, some of it is casual, some of it is a mere-glance is an absolute necessity. I don’t think we can do without it any more than we can do without dreams or oxygen.”  ~ Novelist Toni Morrison 

WELL SAID!

 

photo via: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I have always believed that beauty was a necessity for me. Beauty has never been an indulgence for me either. I have to have it just like water, and air. What about you? Do you need beauty?

 

 

March Favorites ~ 2024

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Good Morning,

Easter is this weekend! We thank you Lord for your sacrifice and your love. I still can’t believe how early it is. I am not sure if my kid is coming home this weekend. I hope she does.

I have lots of interesting favorites to share for this month and I hope that you find use in them.

 

 

First on my list is this iron holder. I needed somewhere to put my iron. Every time I used it, I would just place it on my shelf (while it was hot) and it made me very nervous. I always believe that everything should have it’s place. This has been so helpful to have. I can even place the iron on it HOT and push the cord in the hidden compartment. 

 

This is a photo of my cabinet under my sink. It was a hot mess. I kept trying to find organizational shelving that could help me. 

 

 

This is wonderful! I ordered this 3- tier shelving system from Amazon. The drawers slide in and out making the access of products so much easier. It’s been a win. 

 

photos via Mrs. Shockley 

 

I have been on the hunt for a cord organizer since Covid. I saw this on an influencer’s page and had to give it a try. You can literally store your cords inside to hide the horrible appearance. 

 

 

Looks much better!

 

 

My fourth favorite is my newest FMBP purchase. This cane chair was on FB for $50. Now the stripe fabric is a little faded and I may have to reupholster it but it’s quite beautiful. 

 

 

A purse hook? Yes PLEASE! I found myself putting my bags on the floor and various places when I was in restaurants. I have also had to squeeze it in between me and someone else when the floor was too dirty. So, when I saw this, I was desperate to give it a try and I must say I don’t leave home without it. Order one!!! 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Sixth on the list are these simply chic and sweet house slippers. I have been on the hunt for a new pair, and I saw Jennifer L. Scott wearing these. I have had them in my Amazon cart for a while and I am so glad that I ordered them. They are quite enjoyable to wear. 

 

 

Next are vintage plates. I was recently inspired by a beautiful, decorated room at the Showhouse this year. Vintage plates have been at the top of my home decor list, and I have enjoyed adding them to my personal spaces. 

 

 

Aren’t these beautiful? I recently received them from Dillards and cannot get enough of the green roses. They are so gorgeous! You can watch my unboxing on my Instagram account. 

 

 

My ninth favorite of the month was a recent discovery. I saw this vintage birdcage at the antique and from the moment that I saw it I knew that I wanted it. Now I am not getting a bird, but I figured I could use this just for decor. I am waiting patiently to make an offer. 

 

 

Last favorite organizational item for the month is this dryer sheet box. I have been one of those people (nothing wrong with it) who kept their dryer sheets in the original box. I saw this on someone’s video and thought well I like that! So I ordered one from Amazon. It’s great!

I hope you all enjoyed this month’s favorites. The boutique is still having a dress sale. Order a few dresses for your wardrobe. Also don’t forget to watch my most recent YouTube video. 

 

 

  • Affiliate links attached. 

Current Favorite Beauty Products

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Good Morning,

We had snow earlier this week! SNOW! Goodness, it happens every year. I don’t know why I think we are out of the danger zone when March gets here. I really doesn’t matter. We always get snow!

I don’t have much planned this weekend which makes me happy. I will be doing a house review and try to do some website work. I also want to go to Whole Foods so I hope that I can fit that in.

Today I am sharing my beauty regimen favorites. I try to update my creams and try new things, but I am such a creature of habit. The first thing that I want to share are my facial cleaners. 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I am still using the Purity by Philosophy. It has been a constant in my facial cleaning regimen. I recently tried Estee Lauder’s Soft Clean facial cleanser and I like it very much. My Estee Lauder Perfectionist Pro Rapid Brightening serum is perfect for my dark spots and scaring that I have on my face. It clears them right up in a few weeks. 

 

 

For day cream I have been trying the L’Oreal Age Perfect cream. I absolutely love this! It’s a beautiful blush color and gives your skin a lovely hint of color. The Fresh Floral Recovery Calming mask is great in the evening. The Estee Lauder Nightwear Plus is still my evening go-to as well as the Revitalizing Supreme Night cream. Advanced Night Repair is an influencer favorite, and the Clarins Double Serum is life changing! 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

New products that I have been trying are the Elizabeth Arden 8-hour mist. This is such an affordable luxury. I think trying and owning a facial mist is such a treat. I saw the Estee Lauder Swiss Performing Extract serum at Von Maur. I could not help myself. I put this on at night and the smell is HEAVENLY! It’s a great moisturizer and helps with tone and elasticity. 

 

 

For those pesky blemishes, I use the Neutrogena Cleanser Mask. Now this is very STRONG. It has benzoyl peroxide in it. I only put some on my pimple, I let it sit then wash it off. It gets rid of them pretty quickly. 

 

 

Now let’s get into some makeup. For my eye shadow I love my Gucci eyeshadow palette. It is currently sold out, but this Laura Geller palette has some similar colors. I also have the Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy palette, but the Mary Kay eye shadow is another good option. If you are looking for a Mary Kay consultant reach out to Rosenda. She is my Mary Kay consultant and would be happy to assist you! If you do reach out, please tell her that you are an A Home for Elegance follower. In regard to my eyebrows, I have been using the Anatasia Beverly brow dip for years. I also just found this brow pencil from Amazon. I am quite intrigued by it. For my blush I am using the Laura Mercier face illuminator, but this looks promising, and I may have to try it. Let’s not forget the Laura Mercier Kabuki brush! 

 

 

Lastly are my lips. I keep it very simple when it comes to my lips. I ABSOLUTELY adore a Clinique chubby stick, but I did find this similar item on Amazon. I am still carrying the L’oreal Paris lip balm in my bag. I did splurge on our trip in Atlanta, and I purchased the Hermes lip oil. I have no regrets. It’s wonderful and as you can see almost gone! For Mary Kay please contact my friend mentioned above. 

I hope that you all loved these beauty products. Let me know in the comments section if you plan to purchase any or if you already use some of them. 

SPECIAL SALE!

Have any of you heard about the Sarah Flint Archive Sale?  It is huge! Just an example, I got the Sarah Flint Gracie’s for only $199! There are some shoes on there that are only $80! Move quickly this sale will not last long. Click on my link above and then click on archive sale to shop! Use my code: SARAHFLINT-CCMRSSHOCKLEY. Enjoy!

 

  • This post is not sponsored. Affiliate links attached. 

Shall We Return to Refinement?

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Good Morning,

We had a very quiet weekend. I did a little antique shopping. I found a birdcage that was absolutely beautiful! 

 

Now I don’t intend on getting a bird, but I love bird cages. I want this just for home decor. I know that may sound weird, but I do love it. I am hoping to get the price dropped. The owner has it marked for $220. I want to maybe pay half of that, but we will see. 

It’s been a while since I have shared an article that intrigued me. An interior designer that I follow shared some info from this article called “We’re Ready for a Return to Refinement”. Reading this title captured me immediately. Now that we are post Covid, it just seems as though the world cannot pull it together. Maybe it’s me but every time we go to a restaurant all I see is sloppiness. For a period of time, it was driving me nuts, but I am trying to settle into the thought process that I cannot control everything.

In the article, it starts off reminding us that “sofas that make you sit up a little straighter, and heeled pumps that give you a more graceful gait are unabashedly elegant essentials” necessary for your beautiful life.

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley (Ralph Lauren Store, Manhattan)

 

The article goes on to discuss setting your table for dinner, decorating your home, and shopping. Now with inflation out of control, living your best life on a budget has become a motto for most of us. I have been trying to very best to find affordable pieces on Amazon to organize my home and to live in a lovely manner. Don’t get me wrong I love Amazon but having some substantial pieces in my life to balance out those Amazon purchases is how I want to live. I have an affirmation that I have been saying almost daily for over 10 years. “Lord help me to buy quality, not quantity”.

One thing that I have learned these last few years is that our time is very short. I want to live my life in beautiful ways as much as possible. 

 

 

 

Experiment with your Home

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Hello!

I completely forgot to tell you all that last Saturday my family and I went to Cincinnati, Ohio to do a little shopping. I found out that Frontgate, Ballard Designs and Grandinroad had an outlet store! I have always wanted to visit Ballard Design so when I called and got their location they told me about the other two stores. We also stopped by the Cincinnati outlet mall as well. I will be honest, I wasn’t a fan of the stores, but it was nice to see the quality of the inventory up front. What scared me away was the prices. Everything was still too high! I feel like you mind as well order online. But that is just my opinion you can check it out on your own. 

Home decor has been on my mind a lot lately. I am always looking for inspiration. I was at the showhouse recently and saw some of the rooms. I cannot wait to share the beautiful rooms with you here on the blog soon. 

I also read this recent magazine article in Victoria from Courtney Davey at Tuft and Trim. 

 

photo credit: Tuft & Trim

 

Courtney Davey’s Instagram content and blog is one of my favorites. I love the floral print couch in the photo above. That is my inspiration for my new FBMP find. One part of the article that I loved was the encouragement to experiment with your home. She said…

Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment

Trying something new with your home décor doesn’t have to be daunting. “If you don’t love it, change it,” says Courtney. Move furniture around, hang things on the walls, try a new paint color and see how it looks. Sometimes you have to put a style choice to the test to discover whether it works in your space. “I always have a wall repair patch kit and spare paint on hand for an easy fix,” the designer continues. “I think there’s so much pressure on getting it right that it holds people back, but if you just go for it and keep a flexible mindset, it’s amazing what you can create!”

I could not agree more. There are a lot of new ideas that I have for my home and reading this passage has inspired me to move forward in my home decor ideas. 

 

 

photo credit: Tuft & Trim

 

I hope this post has inspired you to give your home ideas a try. We are only going to make this journey once. Enjoy your home and your space. Stop decorating your homes to sell them. Add color and beauty! Have a great weekend. 

Easter is fast approaching! The Belle Rose Maxi and Gatsby Pearl Necklace are on sale! Get both for only $40 (plus shipping)!