Tag Archives: health

life, lifestyle, Motherhood, New Year

Hello 2025

It is that time of year again where I write my blog post about all of my New Year’s goals and acknowledge that it has been forever since I have been on here and blah blah blah.

Well, it is a new year, it has been a long time since I have written, and it is okay. I am actually proud that last year I wrote six blogs, it was definitely an improvement from the year prior. Of course I have a goal to post more this year, I want to publish a blog once a month (at the very least). I think that is doable. The hold back I have had with posting I think, is that my content is changing so much. I have been in a shift, really for the last few years, where my blog and I are evolving. We started off silly and tragic, then shifted fully into style and fashion, now… we have been trying to figure it out. So much has happened over the last four and a half years, both good and bad, but priorities and just life itself has changed. I met the love of my life, married him, and had the best baby boy ever (who is now a one year old toddler and is absolutely everywhere).

I still love style and fashion, but to be honest, I have let it slide… A LOT. It is something I want to get back into this year, mostly for the reason that I want to feel good about myself. I have written time and time again, that feeling good in an outfit gives you such a sense of confidence, and I want that back. I need that back. So I am making changes this year.

The last two years I have had the same New Year’s resolution: Change My Entire Outlook On Life (see the 2023 post here and the 2024 post here). How naive of me to think my entire life could change in a year, and even after adding a bonus second year. My sister and I talked IN DEPTH about changing our entire lives, and we still discuss it today. We came to the conclusion that year one was a “prep” year. Although things did not LOOK different with us, we felt different, our minds were different and changing. Year two was when I thought it would all be put into action, but I am still not there yet. You always hear change doesn’t happen over night. I KNOW this, but here we are on year three and still working towards our goal.

I think part of the delay (for lack of a better word) is that along my way on this journey, I am figuring out exactly what my goal(s) in life is and fine tuning it. It is funny how one of my goals last year, and is again this year, is to slow down, and then realizing all of this change is SLOW. I guess it all goes together and is a lesson to be learned.

This past year, and mostly the last few months, I have been able to envision CLEARLY what I want for my life and my family’s lives, and it makes me so excited. I day dream about it all the time and it is like watching a preview to a movie I really want to see. My husband and I want to move. We do not want to stay in California. He never has (and has left once before), I don’t know if I ever cared too much about moving. I think I thought about it more when my sister moved out of state, but even then I had no plans. But when I met my husband for the first time in Montana, my eyes were opened. I still don’t think I have ever seen a more beautiful place. A place that just gives you feelings. I just felt such a sense of peace out in the open land, away from a big city, with fresh air and mountains. I want that. I want to feel like that every day. It took me a while to admit that. I thought about it A LOT to myself, but was afraid what it would mean to say it out loud. What actions it would spark. I have never moved away like that. The farthest I have lived is Orange County. But I am ready, and not just ready, EXCITED and CRAVING. I want it. I want the change. I want a new place for my son to explore (not that he has explored a lot here, he has only been walking since November, but I want him to grow up somewhere else).

So what do my husband and I envision for us? We want land, we want to build a house and a shop (maybe even together), and we want simple. I want our dogs to have room to run, I want goats and chickens, he wants horses and cows, I am determined to add in a donkey and alpaca somehow 😆. I just want the simple, slow life where we spend our days and nights together and exploring. I want my son and future children to play outside and not care about screens. I want to have to drag them inside when it is time for dinner. I want summer dinners outside under beautiful sunsets, and family time around a fire pit under the stars. I want a cozy house when it is winter, with a wood burning fire place and piles of warm blankets. I want both of our families to come camp on our property and just let the cousins run wild and all be together. I dream of all of this. I yearn for it. The want is clawing at me in a motivating way.

I know there is a trend of this lifestyle. It can be seen all over social media. But I have made it a point to start following all of those accounts that have the lifestyle I dream about, and I watch their posts and stories not in comparison, but as inspiration. It is like a live vision board that constantly gets updated with new things.

What are my goals for this year then?

  • Work towards our family vision, which is definitely a work in progress and will take some time
  • I want to continue to slow down. I have learned it is a practice, you cannot just decide to slow down, especially when you have been a go-go-go girl all of your life like me
    • Not only do I want to slow down for myself, but I want to slow down for my son. I do not want him to have a rushed and stressed mentality like I have and grew up with
  • Along with slowing down, I want to be more intentional with my time. This has a lot of factors:
    • I don’t want to waste my time on useless things, like scrolling social media endlessly. I want to scroll with a purpose, or give myself an allotted time and stick with it
    • I try really hard to be intentional with my son, but there is always room for improvement
    • I need more intentional time with my husband
    • I don’t want to waste my time on drama, or complaining, or gossiping. I have much better uses for it
    • Lastly, I don’t want to give my time to people who do not deserve it or do not respect it
  • As always, I want to read and write more
  • I want to make more homemade food (my husband is the chef, but I have had such a spark to expand my cooking skills and make more things from scratch)
  • I want to get healthy
  • My last goal, which is a new one for me… I want to be more adventurous this year. This doesn’t mean crazy things. One idea I have already is to kayak. We live on a lake. My husband and our roommate have kayaks that they never take out. I want to get my own kayak and have family outings on the lake. I want to go camp more places. I want to do more hikes or explore more places nearby or close enough to be a day trip
    • I can be such a homebody, which is fine, but I need to push myself to get out there. I know once I finally get out there, it is so worth it. I think my struggle is that our family is so busy already, adding in new things can feel exhausting. There needs to be a balance of activities and recoup weekends at home.

Of course I have more small goals within all of these goals, but this is the general idea. I am excited for this year. I really feel deep down that this is going to be a year of significant changes in myself. I am pointed in the direction I want, and I am going to keep working and building until I get to where I want, giving myself grace where I need it. Change is slow, and slow is okay. Slow is what we want. Cheers to 2025 ✨

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Formulate

I got the opportunity to try Formulate, a company that makes shampoos and conditioners unique for your personal hair needs and goals, and to be honest I was a little hesitant at first. My sister does my hair, so for the past I don’t even know how many years, I have been using the products from her salon to help keep my color, hydration, all of that. Trying something new was scary to me, but I decided to give it a shot (check out my Formulate highlight on my Instagram here!)

You start this journey off with a quiz. All simple questions pertaining to your hair and your goals. These answers will determine your specific formula. My hair goals I expressed were color protection (obviously), mend split ends because I style my hair a lot, lengthen, and strengthen. The quiz didn’t take long at all, I was even surprised I got to pick my preferred fragrance and even the strength of it! I loved that because I am picky with scents so obviously I went with the more floral smell, called Verdant which smells like grass, lilies, and eucalyptus, and OBVIOUSLY I wanted it strong. 

That was it! I filled out my quiz and information and the next step was to wait for my personal shampoo and conditoner to be shipped. They didn’t take very long and I was surprised at the size of the bottles for the fact that they were full size AND came with pumps! I loved that. The first thing I did was open them and smell them, OH MY GOSH they smelled amazing! 

After the first time I gave them a try my hair felt different, which I was warned of. I was advised due to the fact that they were sulfate free (also paraben free, cruelty-free, and made in the USA, just an FYI) my hair might seem greasy super fast. My hair did feel softer for sure, but a tad oily. After the first day I was already dry shampooing for work. The other thing I noticed was my scalp looked a little dry. 

I assumed I would need some getting used to so a couple days later I used it again. Before my hair was even dry I could see the dryness of my scalp. It was getting so bad and flakey I immediately emailed my contact at Formulate. I remembered them saying that sometimes formulas need to be adjusted a few times to fine tune them and get them right. They were so nice, I told them my issues of the dryness and they immediately put in for a new formal. 

About a week or so after I received my new batch and tried it again. My formal now had the goal “Deep Conditioning” added. Even after the first use of the new formula things seemed better. I was worried if they added ingredients to moisturize my scalp that is was going to make the rest of my hair oily. I was still a little oily after the first new wash, but with each coming wash my hair felt better and better. Not to mention you can smell the amazing scent even the day after washing it! 

I am loving how my hair is feeling and looking after using Formulate. It is shinier, less frizzy, I can actually brush it wet without it being super tangly, and let me tell you, I can usually NEVER do that! It also did not strip my color at all, which I (and my sister) were very happy about. I can safely say all my reserves about trying this new shampoo and conditioner are gone. I felt very taken care of when Formulate immediately helped me to get the right formula when the one I had wasn’t working. They didn’t make any excuses like try it again and see what happens, I could tell they wanted to get it right. They were also SO NICE! I loved working with them. I took before and after photos of my hair. I know the difference may not look huge in the photo but you can still see it. The difference is totally in person and to the touch, it is just sooo soft all the time! The below or during a two month period which includes both my formulas:

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Before! (my 6 year old niece totally took this for me, she is the cutest!)

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After!

Now for something fun! I get the chance to give away one free custom set from Formulate! Click on the link below to enter, I promise you won’t be sorry. How cool is it to know that a haircare system is being formulated just for your hair?! We are all unique so sometimes we need unique products just for us! Enter below 🙂

https://www.formulate.co/u/theblaw

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Holistic Beauties’ BFF!

I got the chance to try Holistic Beauties’ BFF, their Best Face Friend, and I really do love it! It is so small and portable, and comes in pink so duh I wanted it (don’t worry, it comes in blue too). It is made of antibacterial silicon and that got me really interested in more. I am always worried that I am going to think I am doing something good for my face and not realize I am putting more germs on it. The BFF also has three different bristle textures AND fifteen adjustable intensities so you can find exactly what works for you. My face feels so soft after using it. I am excited to see how much it improves after using the BFF consistently.

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I think one of my favorite things is how easily you can take it with you. You can get so into the groove of getting a good skincare routine down at home but when you travel it kind of falls apart. The BFF is small and light so throwing it in your overnight bag is easy. I have also been strangely concerned with fine lines (I will have another blog about that later) but the vibration of the BFF increases blood flow and collagen production AND renews elasticity and prevents aging by massaging your face muscles.

All in all, I would definitely recommend this product. It is just so simple yet does so much, what’s not to love? If you want to see it in action watch my very awkward video here HAHA! It is my first video attempt like this and I think I need some practice so don’t judge too hard. Click here to get 30% off your own BFF, you won’t regret it!

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Smiling Bright with Smile Brilliant

I got the opportunity to use the custom whitening kit from Smile Brilliant and I have to say I am impressed. To be honest I was a little nervous to try it. One because my teeth are not all that straight and I was worried the whiting gel wouldn’t be even on my teeth. Two, every time I’ve ever tried to whiten my teeth, which has only been with either the strips or the mouthwash, I got shooting pains up my teeth and gums (mostly from the strips). I have really sensitive teeth. I can’t bite into ice cream and I prefer cool or room temperature water to ice water because I can’t handle the cold. I was determined to try it though, I am a coffee drinker and we all know how great that is on your teeth. With Smile Brilliant I ended up being pleasantly surprised on both of my concerns.

I received my kit in the mail and was a little intimidated by it! The kit comes with the material (two part) to make your custom tray fittings, the holders, the whitening gel and desensitizing gel, and I was just thinking what do I do?! Before I completely worried I read the directions, which were simple and made me feel better. First step before anything was molding my teeth so I could mail in my impressions to get my custom trays. You have to make a top and a bottom impression (obviously) but you get three containers of the impression material. I understood why after my first impression came out wrong. There is a blue and a white material. You have to mix them together within one minute until you see no more white. I was frantically mixing until I realized how easily they mix. Then you roll it “hotdog style” and lay it in the tray. You put the tray in your mouth and bite down being careful not to scrape the front, not to bite down too hard but also making sure you bite down enough. The mold and tray stays in for three minutes, yes you will drool! I did my top first and when I got it out I noticed I bit too hard in the front because my front tooth broke through the mold and there was a hole in it. I did the bottom next and those came out perfect, then I used the third and last set of material and redid my top. Thank you Smile Brilliant for thinking about people like me who sometimes need a second chance because they overthink. Molds were complete! Next step was to send them in the prepaid envelope to Smile Brilliant so they could make my custom trays.

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The turnaround on the trays wasn’t long at all. I got a notification that my impressions were received and not long after, maybe a week give or take, my trays arrived in the mail. Now I was ready to try it out. I read the directions again to be sure. First you brush your teeth with just water, then put the whitening gel in the trays (1/4-1/3 of the syringe), dry your teeth and put them on. It was pretty simple and the trays were surprisingly comfortable. You can leave them on for 45 minutes up to 3 hours. I started off with 45 minutes as 3 hours seemed a bit ambitious for my first time. After your timer goes off you take off the trays, rinse them well with cold water, then brush your teeth with toothpaste. After that you dry your trays, then put the desensitizing gel in, dry your teeth, and do it again. This part is only 15-20 minutes. The desensitizing gel is to help with tooth sensitivity and help prevent re-staining. It was recommended to do this whole process at night that way after you finish the desensitizing gel you can just go to bed. When you take the trays out that time you just rinse them and leave your teeth alone, no need to brush. You also don’t drink anything after. That was it, so simple! I noticed a slight difference even after my first round!

I started whitening every other day, or I attempted every other day, there were a few longer gaps, as my teeth probably couldn’t handle every day. Towards the end my teeth were getting a little more sensitive but still bearable. I was actually able to up my whitening time to an hour! So proud. Now I have whitened I think 10 times and I am so happy with the results! I smile in the mirror a lot to see the difference. I have even gotten a few compliments that my teeth were white. That has totally helped with my confidence as I have always been self conscious about my teeth because they are not straight. I am happy to say though that in the next month or two I am getting braces and you can bet when I get them off I will be using Smile Brilliant again! I totally recommend them. Once you have your trays you can always buy refills of the gel later so this is a system you can keep and use for a long time. I love that I will be able to keep it for when special events are coming up or just to maintain a white smile. I am smiling bright now!

GIVEAWAY!! —> Click the link to enter to win a whitening kit of your own from Smile Brilliant! www.smilebrilliant.com/g/theblaw or use my code theblaw15 for 15% off your order!

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Before and After

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athleisure, Style, Style Panel, the.B.Law

Walking Your Dog in Style

Taking your dog on a walk definitely counts as your daily exercise when your workout of choice is ATHLEISURE. Style burns twice as many calories as…Anyways, Kaipo and I love our walks in Rancho Cucamonga with our other pack mate Nick. We always have to stop by Klatch Coffee for some caffeine-I mean pre-workout.

Last week we had a beautiful sunny Monday, but it was actually so cold (60 degrees!). This outfit was perfect for battling the California winter chill, breathable leggings, warm long sleeve, and a cute headband!

I am a loyal Lululemon shopper when it comes to my everyday essentials, but I’m looking to branch out! What are your daily athleisure essentials or other brands that you love? Comment and let me know where I should be shopping for my next look!

Outfit linked below!

All from Lululemon:

  • Leggings (similar, mine are High Rise Luxtreme Wunder Unders)
  • Top (similar)
  • Headband (on sale!)

Happy Wednesday! – Kristen

 

 

 

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Purify Sauna Lounge

This past Thursday I got the opportunity to try out the Purify Sauna Lounge in Anaheim, a friend of mine invited me. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, I just knew it was a sauna. When I got there to be honest I was nervous. That seems so silly but I had only ever been in a sauna once and I wasn’t too sure about it, I am not always that great in the heat. As soon as I walked into Purify though I felt better just for the fact of how friendly the staff was. They helped me get signed in, offered me water, took my picture, and showed me how everything worked. It turns out my friend that invited me owns the place! She and her family are such good people so from that moment I knew it was going to be a great place.

The rundown, you get your own personal room with an individual sized sauna. It is almost set up like a tanning salon (there is one room that can accommodate two people if you prefer to go in with a friend, I think that could be fun). In your personal room you have the sauna which has glass walls and doors. There is also a TV so you can watch to pass the time. Before you go in you get your pick of either a peppermint or eucalyptus cold wet towel. You get two, one for while you’re in there, and one for afterwards. I definitely recommend keeping the second for after. You also want to make sure you bring a water in with you, I drank almost a whole 33 oz bottle. You undress, wrap in a towel, and relax in the sauna for 40 minutes! The saunas are on all day so there is a timer for you to know when to get out. The temperatures for these babies are set to 150 degrees. That sounds mostly crazy to sit in 150 degrees for 40 minutes, but believe me, if I can do it, almost anyone can. I told you, I am terrible in the heat but this I handled. Probably because it is mostly a dry heat, there is no steam involved. After about the first 10-15 minutes you will just start dumping out sweat. My friend told me you will sweat in places you didn’t even know you could, well she was right!

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Now I didn’t realize the benefits of a sauna. Purify has all infrared saunas so the lights have a lot to do with it. The colors all have different benefits from relaxing to energizing. Using these saunas help you boost your metabolism, burn calories and loose weight, helps with muscle and joint pain, removes toxins, helps the appearance of cellulite, reduces stress and fatigue, improves your skin, and helps your immune system! I slept SO WELL that night. By the time I got home I was so relaxed it was really amazing. Someone at work the next day even commented on my skin. I was surprised with the results after just one session so you can assume I cannot wait to go back! The lounge offers various memberships that I am really interested in and I even have my boyfriend wanting to give it a try. If you live local you should really check it out!

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