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'

march intentions

*March Movement Challenge*

*Keep a daily food, exercise & mantra journal*

*Have a fun weekend getaway with my Sweet Husband and a Friend Couple*

*Be healthy (no more sickness)*

*Spend at least 15 minutes reading inspirational literature at least 4X a week*

*Work on AFFA CECs*

*Get my locks trimmed*

*Get a pedicure*

*Attend nephew's 2nd Birthday Party*

*Organize closet & get out spring clothes-Yay!*

*Thoroughly enjoy spring break*

What are your intentions for the month of March?

Namaste'

Leslie

the march movement challenge

I've decided during the month of March I am going to challenge myself (and all others who would like to join me) to move each day. There was not a lot of movement in my life during the month of Feb., and my body & mind are feeling it! So, here's the challenge:

Move a minimum of 20 minutes every day in March:

Walk

Run

Ride a Bike

Do Yoga

Lift Weights

Dance

Stretch

Just get your body moving!

It will thank you!

Peace, Love, Lipstick,

& Namaste'

Leslie

*photo from thelandbirdsofsoutheastbrazil.com

feb 2011 favorites

Sadly, between the blizzard and illness, I've spent much of February laying at home in bed or on the sofa. However, I did venture out a few times and was able to enjoy the following favorites:

I started reading this book, and I'm enjoying it so far!

Saw this movie with my Sweet Husband at a very cool, little independent theater in town.

Loved it! (Hope it wins an award or two tomorrow night on the Oscars!)

OCC Lip Tar--very interesting lip product. Vegan and cruelty free--gotta love that. The color is "Hush." It is a perfect nude-pink color and very pigmented.
Sebastian Potion Nine--I have used this stuff for years, and I still love it.

It leaves my hair feeling soft, conditioned, and very healthy looking.

I was able to get my hands on this Urban Decay Naked palette on ebay. It has 12 beautiful, highly pigmented colors. Also cruetly free-which I love.
A few other favorites include:

*a z pack to aid my recovery*

*Sara Bareilles Pandora Station*

*Homemade vegetable & ground turkey soup:
1 can chicken broth
1 can beef broth
5 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans corn
1 cup chopped carrots
2 cups chopped potatoes
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 head of cabbage chopped
1 small onion chopped
1 lb. ground turkey

-Just brown the turkey, add all the other ingredients, and cook for an hour or two on medium/high heat.

Hope you've had a great month. I'm definitely looking forward to welcoming in the month of March!

Namaste'

Leslie

girl crush

Sickness=Day 5 (Yes, your read that correctly, day five and still feeling like rubish). I've literally been alternating laying on the bed and on the sofa for five full days now. When I am feeling back to my normal, healthy self, I am going to go out and celebrate my life and my health--that is for sure! Until then, I will continue to fill my days with resting and internet surfing.

In the midst of my surfing, I have come across the fabulously inspirational Gabrielle Bernstein. Are you familiar with her? Well, if not, definitely check her out! She is my newest girl crush. I love finding fabulous women who are doing great things! I will be ordering her book soon, and I'm looking forward being continually inspired!

You can check Gabrielle out here.

Much love, health, & happiness to you all!

Peace, Love, Lipstick,
Namaste'
Leslie

yogathought

This photo pretty much shows how I've been feeling lately. According to the Dr., I have walking pneumonia and need to rest, so that's what I've been doing. I've been very glad to have the animals around to keep me company. I am really looking forward to feeling back to my normal, healthy self!

Although I haven't felt well enough to do much yoga recently, here's a yogathought for the day:

"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have." --Frederick Keonig

Peace, Love, Lipstick,
& Namaste'
Leslie

gratitude list

Today I'm thankful for:

*my amazing husband
*the sound of peep frogs
*windows open and a cool breeze filling the house
*watching the sun set
*my health slowly, but surely, returning
*a large vase full of bright orange clementines on the counter

What's on your gratitude list today?

Peace, Love, Lipstick,
& Namaste'
Leslie

three day weekend list

You gotta love three day weekends! The only thing better is a four day weekend, which I have coming up next week! Here's how I plan to spend my time:

*massage
*movie with friend
*sipping hot coffee each morning
*lunch with my momma & aunt
*reading at coffee shop
*yoga
*helping administer the ACT to a load of students (this probably isn't something I'll be savoring, but it will give me a little extra cash for spring break next month! I'll definitely savor that!)
*looking through new InStyle magazine
*writing & sending valentines cards to loved ones
*perhaps even taking a hike through the snow

It's looking to be a great weekend!

Peace, Love, Lipstick
& Namaste'
Leslie

a word on chakras

As I've mentioned multiple times recently, I've been reading Judith Anodea's Eastern Body Western Mind and LOVING it. I actually finished the book yesterday--it's a whopping 458 pages and I finished it in less than a month (which is fast for me, since I am always reading at least three books at one time). Today, I started going back through the book and rereading all the quotes I highlighted. For those who aren't familiar with the chakra system, or why it matters, here is a short explanation from the book:

"Chakras are not physical entities in and of themselves. Like feelings or ideas, they cannot be held like a physical object, yet they have a strong effect upon the body as they express the enbodiment of spiritual energy on the physical plane. Chakra patterns are programmed deep in the core of the mind-body interface and have a strong relationship with our physical functioning. Just as the emotions can and do affect our breathing, heart rate, and metabolism, the activities in the various chakras influence our grandular process, body shape, chronic physical ailments, thoughts, and behavior. By using techniques such as yoga, breathing, bioenergetics, physical exercises, meditation, and visualization, we can, in turn, influence our chakras, our health, and our lives. This is one of the essential values of this system--that it maps onto both the body and the mind, and can be accessed through either."

(*photo from http://www.besteasternhealthtips.com/)

I will be sharing more from this book throughout the next month. It really has opened my eyes to the connection between our chakras and our personality, health, and well-being. Creating a balance of energy flow is the ultimate goal, and once again, I am reminded why yoga is such a healing practice.

Peace, Love, Lipstick,
& Namaste'
Leslie

jan. 2011 favorites

Here are my January 2011 favorites (in no particular order)

LOVE this book! Cannot say that enough.

It is the perfect book for anyone interested in the chakra system & western psychology
I realize I've posted about this DVD many times, but it truly is my go-to for my at-home practice, and I 've used it quite a few times during January.
Love the instruction, sequence, music, & scenery!
With the winter weather going on and on, I've been loving using this bronzer to give my face a golden glow. It's a matte bronzer--which I love! Don't get me wrong, I am all about sparkle & glitter, but for a bronzer, I prefer matte.

I am also loving MAC Hue lipstick....

...with MAC Florabundance lipgloss over it.

The result is a beautiful peachy, nude color that feels wonderful on my lips!

Also loving...

*watching youtube videos*

*sipping Tulsi Sweet Rose tea with a tablespoon of agave nectar*

*my knewly knitted hat*

*home-made taco soup*

*pandora Bebel Gilerto station*

So, that's my Jan. favorites list....a little yoga, a little reading, a little food, a little beauty, a little music....Hope you enjoy. What's on your Jan. favorites list?

Peace, Love, Lipstick

& Namaste'

Leslie

light & yogathought

The blizzard has ended and the sun is now shining brightly. It always amazes me how much more energized, productive, and happy I feel when the sun is out--even if there is 17+ inches of snow on the ground! The sunshine is a reminder to let our own light shine always!

"As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence actually liberates others." --Marianne Williamson

Peace, Love, Lipstick
& Namaste'
Leslie