Sharing how I got back to wearing makeup after being diagnosed with dry eye, blepharitis and MGD, as well as my favorite brands. This is not medical advice; I’m just sharing my experience!

Hi friends! How are you? I hope you’re having a wonderful morning! We’re finishing up Rodeo break (wah) so the kids are back to school and it’s back to the swing of things around here. I hope you have a great day!

For today’s post, I wanted to do a reader’s request after a comment I received last week. Ever since I posted about my eye issues, I’ve been overwhelmed by amazing messages and comments, but also saddened to hear that so many of you have found yourselves in a similar boat with sudden flares, autoimmune issues, and painful, red eyes. While I was in the depths of all of this last year, I was so frustrated and sad. I couldn’t see myself ever wearing contacts or eye makeup again. (I have no foresight whatsoever, so in my mind, what is happening now means it will be happening forever.)

I couldn’t wear makeup for many months and slowly made my way back to contacts and eye makeup. It’s taken a lot of work and healing – I’ll share more on my healing journey and everything I’ve done to decrease my histamine responses and inflammation in an upcoming post – but *knock on wood* I can finally make it through the day without constantly thinking about my eyes. Just putting that hope out there for my dry eye friends — it can and will get better. This won’t be forever. Hang in there, friends.

Please remember that I’m not a doctor and this isn’t medical advice. At the same time, many traditional eye doctors were mystified by my situation and didn’t know how to help me. I was determined to get to the root cause and improve the issue, and have done a lot of research and experiments on myself along the way. Shout out to my beloved dry eye specialist who gave me some answers and guidance! Also shout out to the beauty of functional testing, because I learned so much about how stress was affecting me, my gut imbalances, toxicities, and deficiencies.

wearing makeup with blepharitis, dry eye, and MGD

Here’s t

Hi friends! Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend? The kids are on Rodeo break – it’s an Arizona thing!- so we’re enjoying sleeping in, fun adventures, and no homework (bless it). I’d love to hear what you have going on!

I’m on Day 5 of the CBO protocol and chugging along. It’s been very hard to live without garlic and onions, but I’ve been making lots of amazing veggie and protein-packed meals, in addition to the supplements. I’m going to be sharing my healing journey in an upcoming post; if you have any questions you’d like me to answer, please lmk in the comments!

It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party! This is where I share my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below.

Friday Faves 2.23

Random/life:

A little getaway to San Diego. The Pilot and I spent just over 24 hours in one of our favorite places for our good friend Jeremy’s 50th birthday. We’ve been friends with Betsy and Jeremy since Liv was in preschool and they’ve become like family. We’ve traveled all over with them, and will often meet up in various spots. We flew into San Diego on Saturday morning

and went straight to Liberty Station. We shopped, walked around, and got an awesome lunch at Tender Greens. We hung out at the hotel and then got ready

Hi friends! I’m so excited to have Angie Lee on the show today. I’ve followed her on IG for a long time and she always cracks me up and inspires me.

Here’s what we talk about:

– ADHD and navigating ADHD as an entrepreneur

– Her experience with a brain scan and the Amen Clinic

– Her productivity hacks

– Starting Soul and how she sources CBD for her company

and so much more.

Navigating ADHD as an entrepreneur and CBD with Angie Lee

Here’s more about Angie and her background:

Angie Lee is a multihyphenate hypewoman, comedy creator, keynote speaker, Forbes Top 100 podcaster & co-founder of Soul CBD & Wellness. As a college and corporate dropout with ADHD, Angie has always known that she wasn’t born to fit into a box or follow the rules. She spent her young adult years seeking a productive outlet for all her creative energy, starting with the blog she launched from her dorm room at the age of 19 circa 2010. After much trial and error and a handful of business flops—including her healthy meal delivery service in Chicago—Angie leveraged her gregarious personality to build a community of hundreds of thousands of ambitious women that are making friends with fear & making money doing what they love.

You can connect with Angie on her website, Instagram, and check out Soul here. 

Partners:

I’ve been using Nutrisense on and off for a couple of years now. I love being able to see how my blood sugar responds to my diet and habits, and run experiments. You can try out Nutrisense here and use GINA50 for $50 off.

Join us for Fit Team! This is my online fitness community and you can try it free for 7 days.

I love love love the meals from <

Sharing 7 home gym ideas on a budget and how to incorporate them into various spaces. 

Hi friends! How are you? I hope you’re enjoying the morning so far! I’m here working on blog content for the day – I try to batch my content days- and looking forward to an afternoon hike. For today’s post, I wanted to chat a bit about home gym ideas and some of my favorite staples.

In today’s fast-paced world, making time for the gym isn’t always easy. I feel like some days, the entire day will blu by, and I find myself collapsing into bed, wondering what the heck just happened. Setting up a home gym can be a game-changer, offering convenience and flexibility. If you’re busy and/or have kids, removing the transportation time and possible need for childcare can make a HUGE difference. It’s not about breaking the bank; it’s about finding the right equipment and setup that works for you and your space.

Here are some budget-friendly home gym ideas to get you started.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission if you purchase through my links at no additional cost to you. These commissions help me keep the lights on for this little blog, so thank you for supporting me.

7 Home Gym Ideas on a Budget

Basement Home Gym Ideas

Flooring: Begin by ensuring the floor is protected. Use inexpensive interlocking foam tiles or rolled rubber flooring for a comfortable and durable surface.

Adjustable Dumbbells: They offer a range of weights in a single set, saving space and money.

Resistance Bands: Versatile and affordable, they’re perfect for a variety of workouts.

Stability Ball: Engages core muscles and can be used for various strength and flexibility exercises.

Yoga Mat: Essential for floor exercises and stretching.

Garage Home Gym Ideas

Plyometric Box: Great for box jumps, step-ups, and other lower-body exercises.

Pull-Up Bar: Easy to install and versatile for upper body workouts.

Punching Bag: Ideal for stress relief and cardiovascular workouts.Kettlebells: Compact and versatile, great for full-body workouts.

Foam Roller: Helps with post-workout recovery and flexibility.

Outdoor Home Gym Ideas

Jump Rope: A simple and effective cardio tool.

TRX Suspension Trainer: Can be attached to

Sharing a review of Spenga and if I’d recommend adding it into your fitness routine. 

Hiii! How are ya? I hope you’re having a lovely day so far. I’m headed to a barre class and looking forward to family dinner later tonight.

For today’s post, I wanted to talk a bit about Spenga! I heard about it years ago, and it was always in the back of my mind as a format I wanted to try. Recently a friend moved back to Tucson – we went to middle school together! – and Spenga is her workout studio of choice. She invited me to join her for a class, so I was pumped to finally give it a try. I have to say, it exceeded my expectations and I can’t wait to go again.

What is Spenga (and would I recommend trying it)?

What is Spenga?

Spenga, short for Spin, Strength, Yoga, is an innovative fitness concept that has been rapidly gaining popularity in recent years. It’s a group fitness program designed to offer a complete workout in a single session, providing the benefits of cardio, strength training, and flexibility work.

The Spenga Concept: Why Was It Created?

Spenga was created with the aim of offering a time-efficient, effective, and enjoyable workout routine that maximizes the benefits of different types of exercises without overloading on any one. The concept was developed to cater to individuals who may not have the time or inclination to participate in multiple types of classes or visit multiple facilities to meet their fitness goals.

What Does a Spenga Class Look Like?

A typical Spenga class is a 60-minute session that is divided into three equal parts:

Spin:

The workout begins with a high-energy spin cycling session. This part focuses on improving cardiovascular endurance, boosting metabolism, and burning calories. This component included lots of sprints and heavy hill climb; it went by so quickly!

Strength:

The spin is followed by a strength training circuit using a variety of equipment like dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance bands, and bodyweight exercises. This segment is designed to build muscle strength, improve bone density, and enhance overall functional fitness. Our particular workout had a combination of functional and compound movements, like renegade rows, pushups, and biceps curl to press.

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