april attitude of gratitude challenge

I thoroughly enjoyed the March Movement Challenge and found it to be a really rewarding, yet do-able discipline. Knowing that I only had to move 20 minutes a day (we can do anything for 20 minutes, right?) the pressure of needing to work out for hours and the excuse of "not having enough time" both went right out the door. Most days I exceeeded the 20 minutes, too. How did it go for you? With the closing of March, I've decided to create a new challenge for the month of April (although I do plan to keep the movement going!) The April challenge is below. Please feel free to join me!

April Attitude of Gratitude Challenge

Each day during the month of April find 5 things (people, places, experiences, etc.) that you are thankful for and write them down! You can keep a gratitude journal and write them in it throughout the day or at night before bed. You can get a gratitude partner and e-mail or text your list to him or her throughout the day. You can have family dinners and share your list with each other at that time--get the kids involved, no matter how young they are! Also, begin and end your day by saying, "Thank You" and feeling the true abundance in your life. Feeling like you're living in lack is much more difficult to do when you live with a spirit of gratitude. Fight your lack-loving ego, and pour some gratitude gravy all over it! I know it's not April just yet, but here's my gratitude list for today: 1. Spring Break 2011 2. Thoroughly enjoying an evening last night with some girlfriends 3. Watching the Crazy Sexy Miracles lecture with Kris Carr and Gabrielle Bernstein 4. Enjoying my morning cup of decaf coffee 5. Smelling a yummy lemon scented candle burning in the kitchen Yes, life is full! What are you thankful for today? Peace, Love, Lipstick, & Namaste' Leslie

march favorites

March is quickly coming to a close, so I thought I'd share some of my favorites from this month.

First, Revlon Soft Nude lipstick.

It's the perfect nude color, feels great on my lips, and the price is right!

Revlon Peach Petal Lipgloss

Love this lipgloss, and it goes perfectly over the Soft Nude lipstick. Loving this book! Wondering why I didn't write it myself! Found this non-sudsing shampoo/conditioner at Sally's Beauty Supply. It's sulfate free, has argon oil in it, and is made specifically for curly hair. I love how my hair feels after using it! I think I just might be giving up traditional shampoo! A co-worker introduced me to this Aveda Comforting Tea, and I fell instantly in love. Initially on the palette it tastes like many other teas, however at the very end of the tasting experience you get a shot of sweetness that I cannot really describe. It just might be the perfect tea. (The price is a little high, but I talked myself into buying it by thinking about it being less than $1.00 per cup!)I am also loving this Burt's Bees Citrus facial Scrub. I leave it in the shower and use it to exfoliate my face regularly. It's gentle, yet gets the job done! Love me some Burt's Bees!

*Blueberry Mango Green Smoothies* (YUM!)

*Pigeon Pose* (Can't get enough of this hip-opener this month)

*Black Eyed Peas Pandora Station* (For when I feel like dancing--or even when I don't.)

Last, but not least:

*SPRING BREAK*

I'm on it now, and enjoying it thoroughly!

Feel free to share some of your favorites for the month of March!

Peace, Love, Lipstick,

& Namaste,

Leslie

i'm back and yoga flow sequence

Tonight I subbed a yoga class, and it felt oh-so good. I cannot explain how teaching yoga makes me feel beyond it's like I'm returning home every time I teach. I'm present. I'm alive. I'm full of energy. I'm calm. I'm focused. I'm relaxed. I'm out of my head and in my body. It's amazing! I have been on a year long yoga teaching sabbatical (although I taught quite a bit subbing classes and in the school where I work during this time "off"), and while I know it was good for me to take this mini-break, I am more than ready to begin teaching regularly again! I am also thrilled that I will be instructing at a fabulous studio here in town that has just the vibe and energy I want to be a part of. April 19 is the exciting start date, and I know lots of good things are to come! For all you yoginis out there, I thought I'd share a flow that will get you nice and heated: Inhale to chair pose Exhale sink deeper into chair Inhale to your tippy toes (while in chair)--I always give this as an option, not a requirement Exhale feet go flat as you foward fold into uttanasana Inhale half way up and out extending the spine long Exhale to plank and slowly lower on the exhale Inhale cobra or updog Exhale downdog Inhale while in downdog Exhale walk or hop feet to hands Inhale half way up and out extending the spine long Exhale forward fold into uttanasana (Repeat 5-10 times to get nice and heated from the inside out!) Keep going with the flow! More to follow... Peace, Love, Lipstick, & Namaste' Leslie

my breakfast & smoothie recipe

I love home-made fruit smoothies! This one is probably my all-time favorite. I usually just eyeball the ingredients, but here's my estimate of everything that goes into this smoothie. Delish!

Blueberry Mango Green Smoothie
1 cup mango
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
2 cups organic spinach
1 1/2 cups vanilla soy milk
1 cup crushed ice
1 tablespoon agave nectar

(I buy a big bag of frozen mango at Sam's Club; however, I find it becomes really hard to blend if I leave it frozen, so I usually thaw the mango out. I do leave the blueberries frozen. Sometimes I also add 1/2 an avocado if I want it extra smooth. I also just use a cheap blender I bought at Wal-Mart. It's a Hamilton Beach one that has a spout which can dispense the smoothie, as long as it's not too thick. We used to have a nice Cuisinart blender, but it actually broke while I was making one of these. The Hamilton Beach one works wonderfully and the price is definitely right.)

Hope you have a great day! And, if you have smoothie recipes you love, please share!

Peace, Love, Lipstick,
& Namaste'

birthday celebration

Last night we celebrated my Sweet Husband's 38th birthday.

We had a great time.We ate a lot of sushi.

It's one of our favorite celebration foods.

And, we got a free dessert for his birthday!

Mango icecream! Yum!

Peace, Love, Lipstick,

& Namaste'

Leslie

family time

I am truly blessed with a wonderful family. Yesterday we had our annual March birthday celebration. I believe there are 6 people in my family with March birthdays, so we get together each year to celebrate them all at once. The star of the celebration is always my Grandpa, who just turned 87 years old! He and my Grandma are my marriage role-models. Such a cute couple. Love them both so much!

Other than family time, I spent the weekend doing yoga, breakfast out with Sweet Husband, reading and mocha sipping at Starbucks, and dinner out with Sweet Husband. Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Peace, Love, Lipstick,

& Namaste,

Leslie

holy hip openers!

My hips are tight. As much as I'd like for them to be all loosey-goosey, they are most definitely not. I've come to accept rather than judge my tight hips, and with that acceptance, I continue to work to open and release them. I'll never forget the first time I heard the beloved Power Yoga instructor Bryan Kest say the hips are "huge storage depots for stress." I thought: What??? The hips aren't a part of my body where I typically thought about stress being stored. However, he's so right: It's there. It's most definitely there. Today I decided to devote my practice to clearing that stress and opening my hips. So, I just completed this practice: http://www.yogajournal.com/video/64and holy hip openers do I feel good!

Do you practice yoga with any on-line resources? I haven't done too much exploring of on-line options. Do share!

Peace, Love, Lipstick,
& Namaste'
Leslie

self-compassion: go easy on yourself

I believe self-compassion is one of the keys to unlocking a healthy, happy life. With that being said, I continue to have to work on a daily basis to keep my type A personality in check and treat myself compassionately. Here is a short New York Times article that once again reiterates the importance of going easy on ourselves:

http://nyti.ms/foOHha

I love the idea of writing a letter of support to yourself! And, we all know, I am a big believer in writing and reciting affirmations/mantras. Over time, these little changes can make a big difference!

Another resource that has helped me tremendously on this self-compassion journey is Tara Brach's book Radical Acceptance. I read it just over five years ago, and it really changed my life. Tara Brach is fabulous, and she also has a podcast where she lectures on topics such as mindfulness, self-acceptance, living in the present, etc. Definitely check her out if you are interested!

Hope you're having a self-compassionate weekend!

Peace, Love, Lipstick,
& Namaste'
Leslie

march morning sequence

This morning I decided to do a gentle yoga practice. So, I headed to www.yogajournal.com and picked out this video to try:

www.yogajournal.com/video/99

It was exactly what I needed.

peace, love, lipstick,
& Namaste'