Month: May 2018

My Pampering Night Routine

My Pampering Night Routine

Posted on by Steph

If you are a normal person, chances are your days are busy. We often forget to take time to relax, to enjoy and pamper ourselves. This should be important, taking care of ourselves should be a priority. I used to feel guilty of taking time to relax, but I have learn that it does more harm than good. Feeling calm and refreshed will help you be more productive and focused, and at night it will help you have a better night sleep.

Today I want to share with you my special pampering night routine. I do this the nights I need to recharge my batteries and give myself some extra love, and I wish I could do it more often. I hope this post inspires you to do the same and create your own special routine.

Face Mask

What is a pampering night routine without a face mask? Since lately I am not wearing to much makeup (you can read about it here) I want to take better care of my skin. I really like face masks, but living days in a hurry has made it difficult to take the time to do them. I try to do this routine at least twice a month, but the ultimate goal is to do it weekly. Lately I have been enjoying this face mask by GLAMGLOW it leaves my skin feeling fresh and extra clean.

Lemon Water

I love ice cold lemon water. I don’t have problems taking my daily intake of water, but when I want to feel extra fancy I add lemons, and it makes it tasty yummy and it looks pretty. I don’t know why but lemon water in a mason jar makes me happy, so why not make it part of a pampering night routine, right?

TV Series – Nashville

Because I was born in San Antonio, Texas, I have a strong believe that there is some “country” in me, which is the reason for my love of country music. When the series first came out I loved it, but I am very bad at keeping up with series just watching once a week, so recently I have been catching up in Hulu. This is the perfect time to enjoy yourself while you enjoy your favorite series or movie. *I will love to have new recommendations, let me know your favorite series or movie in the comment section below.*

Shower

Ok, ok! You already know how much I like my showers (I have talk about them here and here and a couple of other posts, I am sure). But taking time to have a relaxing, not in a hurry shower, with your favorite products and really be present in the moment is truly magical. This is one of my favorite ways to practice mindfulness. Of all the things in this post if you only can do one, this is it, trust me.

Read and No Technology

Even if I wanted, I don’t have much time before going to sleep, but reading something light, like this Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls (which is a good read for anytime of the day, inspiring stores of strong and awesome females, yes please!), and avoiding technology while in bed helps me fall a sleep faster. If you make it a nightly habit, your body will know that when you go to bed and take your night time reading book, that is time to sleep. But specially avoiding technology at least 30 minutes before going to bed will help you have a better night sleep. So even once in a while, when you are having a hard and stressful day implement this to your night routine. Another tip is to incorporate 5 minutes (or until you fall a sleep) of mindfulness meditation in bed when you are ready to sleep, will help you calm your busy mind.

Going to Bed Early

This is the best part of my special pampering routine. Going to bed early is something I want to do everyday and almost never do. Making it part of this routine helps me to accomplish this at least a couple of times a month.

There you have it, my special night routine. I hope this post has inspired you to take a bit of time for yourself, to help you recharge and refresh your mind and body.

Do you have a night routine? What would you add to the things I mentioned? I will love to know your thoughts, so leave me a comment below.

Never stop dreaming,

♥ Steph
My Everyday Royal Makeup Routine

My Everyday Royal Makeup Routine

Posted on by Steph

Hi there!

Today I want to share with you what has been my everyday makeup routine, which my coworkers wouldn’t consider makeup, but I do. I got inspired to share it with you after watching the Royal Wedding. I am a makeup lover, but watching the simple makeup look that Megan Markle wore, left me feeling good about what has become my daily makeup routine.

Source: People

Like I have talk in recent posts, this past couple of weeks have been intense, so I have swap my 10-15 minutes of doing my makeup for a bit more of sleep.

Not doing my makeup started as a way to have more time, but as the weeks have passed I have learn to love my skin just the way it is and also to take better care of it and now it doesn’t feel like a sacrifice, and I skip it because I enjoy my bare face. I know it may be strange for people who are used to see me with a full face of makeup to now see me with barely nothing on, but to me it feels refreshing

Of course that doesn’t mean I will stop using makeup, I still love doing my makeup, and I still enjoy catching up on youtube videos while doing it, is just that for now I will keep doing it in the weekends, when I feel I have more time.

So my makeup routine consists of me doing my brows and whichever shade of lipstick I feel like wearing and then I am ready for the day.

If you are a makeup lover like me, have you have periods of not wearing makeup? What do you think of Megan Markle’s wedding makeup? I will love to know your thoughts, so leave your comments below.

Never stop dreaming,

♥ Steph
Dreaming of Wedding: Planning Update

Dreaming of Wedding: Planning Update

Posted on by Steph

Recently Engaged Girl coming to you from Dreaming Life in Pink Headquarters (aka, my living room). Today I want to share with you how the wedding planning is coming along.

Future Hubby and I had been talking about wedding months before he officially pop the question (read about it here), so we already had on mind the date, and the place we wanted the wedding to be. Funny enough, the day he proposed was the day we had set to go see the venue, and I was extremely happy to do it officially engaged.

So just like that, the day we got engaged we also booked our venue. The place works perfect for us, as it is in middle for both our families, plus it is the place I had always dreamed of. I have been telling everyone for more than 10 years that I will get married there and now I will, just imagine how over the moon I am.

We will have the ceremony and reception in the same venue, but the ceremony will be outdoors, surrounded by nature. We are still not sure at what time in the evening to have the ceremony since it will be summer and we don’t want our guest to die of a heat stroke in the puerto rican summer sun. And the reception will be indoors.

We found our photographers at the Bridal Expo we went (you can read about it here). One the first day we went to their booth and so many more, and liked their work. Talking that night after the event I couldn’t remember them, I had so many business cards and brochures that I couldn’t identify them. Thanks to Maria, one of my Maids of Honor that went to the event with us, and Future Hubby, we found the booth the next day, we saw their work again and took another business card and made a note to remember them.

A month later we meet at a mall, saw their work, yet again and talk and ask all the questions we could think off. The meeting ended and as we were walking away, talking, we decided that we really wanted them, they are a couple who works together, so we get two photographers, the price was right for us, and they seem really nice. Lucky for us, they were still at the table, and we signed the contract!

Recently we also signed the contract for the band that will be playing at the reception. Them too we saw at the expo. Live music was a must for me, and Future Hubby wanted a band that will play a variety of songs in Spanish and English. We liked the way they sounded, they play all kinds of music, so weeks after the Expo we went and signed the contract.

We haven’t been doing a lot of things of the wedding as we will like to, with working 4 days, taking classes and going to my college practice center 2 days I don’t have much time. Our goal is to be on full Wedding Planning Mode on the month of June. So I hope I can come to you with another wedding planning update soon.

Never stop dreaming,

♥ Steph

S.O.S: Motivation and Study Routine Essentials

S.O.S: Motivation and Study Routine Essentials

Posted on by Steph

Another episode of S.O.S. – Study Over Sleep! It has been a while!

This pasts weeks have been so hard, but specially this one. The semester is coming to an end and I have so much to do. It has been extremely hard balancing my actual work, classes, my university practice and my social life. I knew it was going to be hard, but I couldn’t imagine how hard it will actually be.

When I am feeling sad and low, and on desperate need of motivation, I go on pinterest, that is my number one source for motivational quotes and I thought I should share the one I found today.

Source: Pinterest/Tumblr

This one punched me in the face. I am so close to the finish line and so many times I have tought of quitting something of all the things I have going on, specially when I feel really overwhelmed. Fortunately I haven’t taken any decisions on those moments of weakness and always try to look for a way to calm myself and keep going strong.

Being finals season, I know I’m not the only one feeling this way. I wanted to share what I do to calm and refocused myself, when I am feeling overwhelmed and my energy is low (apart from searching on Pinterest for motivational quotes).

This first one shouldn’t come as a surprise. I take a shower. The first reason for this is because my apartment is really hot, and that doesn’t help when I am feeling frustrated. And second, I am sure you already know, but I love taking showers and using good smelling products, plus I incorporate mindfulness meditation to my showers to make them extra relaxing. Just taking a shower lifts my mood and helps me relax and be calm, the next things I will mention I use to help prolong this calm feeling.

I prepare a relaxing environment, first I light up a candle, love this one from Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy line in Calm, very fitting and I enjoy the scent.

Second, I take my amethyst crystal, and set an intention for it to help me relax and concentrate. This crystal is said to help with stress and anxiety and that is why I have made it part of my calming routine for when I am studying.

Third, I put on some instrumental music playlist on Spotify. I choose a playlist at random from the Focus category. I like choosing songs without lyrics because it helps me concentrate more. I am one that can’t study if I don’t have peace and complete silence, but this type of music helps me concentrate more and feel more relaxed.

While I wait for the delicious scent and good energy to invade my home, I take a glass of ice cold water and if I have lemons I will add one to make it extra special and tasty. This helps me stay refreshed and hydrated.

The last thing is to control has much as you can your distractions. No Netflix or Youtube when you are feeling stressed. Believe me, I am one to do all the things I can while watching some videos, but when I am feeling frustrated and don’t want to do all the things I have to do, adding distractions like those will just end badly. I will not concentrate in the task at hand, and the probability of spending hours doing nothing are high. After you have finish doing the work, reward yourself with a episode or two and then continue with another task. Plus, studies have shown that multitasking really doesn’t work and it’s not productive.

So there you have it, my calming studying essentials. I hope it helps you in times of need.

I will love to know what you do when you are feeling overwhelmed and with a lot of things on your life. I will love to learn new things from you, so leave me a comment with your recommendations.

Never stop dreaming,

♥ Steph

The Podcasts You Must Listen To

Posted on by Steph

Hi there!

Did you check this week’s bonus post, I shared with you how to make waking up early enjoyable, go check it out here.

In that post I mentioned that part of my morning routine is listening to a podcast while I am in the car, so today I want to share my favorite podcasts with you.

I have to start from the beginning. I want to mention the first 2 podcasts I ever listen to, College Info Geek and Girlboss Radio.

I heard Girlboss by Sofia Amoruso on Audible and loved it, and then I learned there was a podcast and I was hooked. The podcast consists of Sofia interviewing other girl bosses in different businesses and areas. Is a fun and easy listen to. If you are into the girl power movement go check it out, I am sure you have heard of at least one of the women she has interview.

College Info Geek is the first podcast I ever listen to. I discovered it because when I was about to start taking the classes I needed to apply to the masters degree back in summer 2015, I was obsessed with everything college and study related, and I came across Thomas Franks videos on YouTube and I used to binge watch his videos, and when I learned about the podcast, if I wasn’t watching his videos I was listening to his podcast. So, if you are interested in topics related to learning this one is for you. (One of the first conversations I had with Future Hubby was about Thomas Frank’s videos, imagine  how obsessed I was, the great thing was that he also watched his videos and I encourage him to also listen to the podcast, which he did.)

Continuing with that I was obsessed with college related topics, comes that I also was obsessed with psychology. Since my bachelors major wasn’t anything related to psychology I felt (and still feel) I was in a disadvantage, so I wanted to get used to the terminology and learn new things so I made a search on the iPhone’s Podcast App. I’m just going to mention the ones I found and liked the best. If you want to know more about it don’t be shy and ask me on the comments.

The Psych Files Podcast

The Psychology Podcast

Speaking of Psychology

Psych Sessions (they ended the show in December 2017, but it was good)

In January 2016 I started learning about Mindfulness and became very interested in the topic. And recently it has been about the law of attraction, visualization, and any other topic about learning, self development and personal growth. I want to mention some of my favorites.

The Mindful Kind – They are short and to the point, she has great advice if you want to start practicing Mindfulness.

The Lively Show – She talks mostly about the law of attraction. I haven’t heard all the episodes, there’s a lot and sometimes I get a bit lost because I don’t understand what she is talking about, but still I really like it.  It gets me thinking and helps me learn new things. I just search thru them and find something that I think is interesting and listen to it.

The Jessica Harlow Podcast – She is one of the first youtubers I ever saw, and with whom I learned how to curl my hair with a curling iron, and now she has a podcast. Is mostly about self development and she also talks about the law of attraction. She is funny and is not afraid to speak her mind. This is another one that is easy to listen.

The Healing Her Podcast – This one is wellness and self development. Abby interviews women who have or are struggling with something in life and how they have “heal” themselves and gotten thru tough times in life. I have been really enjoying it. It gives you a better perspective in life and it’s also a great way to learn how to handle difficult times.

These last ones I want to share today are the best ones! Definitely your dose of girl power, and the best part, these girls are Puerto Ricans! Island pride!

Un Aguacate a la Vez – Love this girls! Every time I listen to them I laugh for most of the episode, and they are about an hour long, for me that is a workout. The podcast is relatively new, but you have to listen to them. They talk about different topics all around wellness and self development. They are real, funny, they speak their mind without a care in the world, and I admire that. Plus I have contacted them a couple of times when I have a question or want more info and they are always willing to help, and they are really friendly. #brujitadecloset

Puestas Pal Problema – I am always out of date with news, I don’t read the newspaper, don’t spend to much time on social media and I don’t even have a tv in my apartment, and this girls keep me up to date with what is happening in the island. They talk mostly about politics, but is fun and easy to understand. These girls also, are not afraid to speak their minds. Go listen, and also listen to there males counterparts, Puestos Pal Problema.

This was a long post, but these were all podcast I had to mention. Have you listen to any of these podcasts? Do you have a favorite I didn’t mention? I am always looking for something new to hear, so if you have any recommendation please let me know.

Never stop dreaming,

♥ Steph

How to Make Waking Up Early Enjoyable (My Morning Routine)

Posted on by Steph

Surprise! Todays post is in collaboration with my BFF María (and one of my Maids of Honor), that now has her own blog. Go check out Mi Arro’ con Pollo… Sin Huesos, to see what her morning routine consists off.

Let me start by saying that I do not consider myself a morning person, but I have really been enjoying taking time to have my morning routine, to do things I like and that make me feel good. One of my mantras is that life is meant to be enjoyed, and having this routine makes me enjoy my day I little bit more.

My goal each morning is to wake up at 4:25 am, some mornings are harder than others, and some I don’t get up, but when the alarm goes off I try to remind myself that I do this because I enjoy it and it will make me feel good. I like having this relaxing moment for myself.

The first thing I do is turn on the lights and splash water on my face. After I finish doing everything I have to do in bathroom I make my bed, because I love getting home to a made bed. And after that I am off to the kitchen.

I love feeding my daughters in the morning. They always have dry food and water during the day, but in the mornings I give them wet food, and those girls love it, specially Chanel, the cat. This is the moment of the day when I have their full attention and they give me lots of love, more than any other moment of the day.

Currently reading: Las mujeres inteligentes siempre consiguen lo que quieren

I proceed to drink a bottle of water, that I take out of the fridge before going to the bathroom, so that it isn’t to cold when I drink it, is important to hydrate the body after all those hours sleeping. And now is when the fun part begins. I take my comfy side of the couch and read for ten minutes. I like reading self help and development books in the morning. They motivate me and give an extra dose of energy for the day. After that comes my 10 minutes of mindfulness meditation. I call Sachi, the dog, because having her in my lap assures me I will have 10 minutes of silence and calm.

Mornings are my favorite time of the day to meditate, the temperature is nice, the street is quite and I am not fighting to not fall a sleep. The way I like to practice meditation is seating comfortably and concentrating in my breath, recognize the thoughts that come, letting them go and trying hard to no react to them (you can read how mindfulness has help me here). After this peaceful 10 minutes, I take a moment to practice gratefulness for all I have and for all that surrounds me, and that is like the cherry on top, it lifts my spirit and leaves me feeling extra good.

Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Energy Body Wash is new in my morning showers and I love it.

Then my mindfulness meditation continues in the shower. I try to be present and aware of everything that is happening and of my senses. Showers have always been relaxing to me, but practicing mindfulness has take them to another level, I wake up looking forward to this moment.  Morning showers make me feel fresh and ready to take on the day.

My favorite youtuber right now is Kalyn Nicholson 

After that I start getting ready and then comes another favorite moment. Makeup. Since I am addicted to watching youtube videos, but don’t have much time for it during the day, I do it while I am doing my makeup.  If I am not watching makeup tutorials, I will watch self development videos, my favorite topics are mindfulness, law of attraction, and any other topic that I think will help me grow and learn.

Loving this podcast, Un Aguacate a la Vez

The last part of my morning routine is in the car. I love hearing to audio books when I am in the car, but since last year I have been really into podcasts. I mostly hear self development podcasts or psychology related podcasts, and I have added them to my morning routine to start the work day extra motivated and with a bit more of knowledge.

During my morning routine I try hard to not go on social media. It’s me time and going on Facebook, Instagram or checking my email can wait.

I love having this morning routine and I recommend to everyone I can to do the same. Find out things that make you feel good, and incorporate them little by little to your mornings. Having a relaxing moment for your self helps you start the day right, with a good mindset, good intentions and with a strong spirit.  I think that is the best way to start the day, don’t you?

Do you have a morning routine? If so, what is your favorite part? If not, do you think you will be incorporating one to your mornings? I will love to know, so comment below.

Never stop dreaming,

♥ Steph