Autumn Has Finally Arrived

We have been having a serious drought here in California. The other day we had some over night showers that brightened many a smile in my neighborhood. I have been itching to break out my fall wardrobe, wedges, boots, scarves and sweaters. My body has been slowing down seeking the comfort of my bed earlier in the day. Needless to say, I was ready for the Equinox. I made an important date with myself to chill out and do less, crawl in to bed early and just be in celebration of its arrival.

My beauty routine changes during the cooler months. I find myself exfoliating more. Drinking more of my beauty elixir and applying warmed coconut oil to my skin especially my lips. It's been harder to stick to eating clean this last week. I have been on the hunt for foods that keep me full and are more hearty. I feel ready for hibernation, but I'm not a forest creature.

Do you notice how your body changes when the seasons change? How do you stick to a healthier way of life when the cooler months hit. It's easy to fall into not so wise choices as we prepare to "fall back."

It's The Yum: Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

I love pumpkins! I love their look and their taste. To me there is something magical about pumpkins. Maybe it's the whole Cinderella tie in or just when I see them I know my favorite time of year has arrived. Plus we are that much closer to Halloween.

I thought sharing my pumpkin pie smoothie recipe would be a great hump day post. This recipe was inspired by a posting I saw on greatist.com. I altered it a smidge to suit what I had in the house and to save me some calories.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
1 frozen banana
1 half can of canned pumpkin
2 cups homemade almond milk
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
1 teaspoon of tumeric
2 teaspoon of cinnamon
a squeeze of agave nectar
1 teaspoon of PB2

This was a hit at my house. It kept me pretty satisfied this morning  and has great flavor . Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A vitamin C magnesium, fiber and essential fatty acids. Plus, they are jam packed with antioxidants. Magnesium is great for you skin, fine lines in particular but the major plus side to magnesium is that is will really battle breakouts. Combined with fiber magnesium and the antioxidants in this smoothie will really work great for a flawless complexion.

Enjoy this magical pumpkin smoothie!

Blissful Beauty Elixir

I pretty much stopped drinking coffee about 6 months ago. I was noticing that coffee really was not doing anything for me or my energy level. I was still feeling tired and come 3 pm I would have a major coffee crash. My skin was also feeling tired, dry and lacking all sorts of luster. I made a change for the better with my beauty elixir.

1 hot cup of water

1 slice of lemon 

few sprinkles of cinnamon 

few sprinkles of tumeric

a few sprinkles of grated ginger

Not only does this elixir taste way great its also good for you. Many people sip hot water and lemon each morning to jump start their bodies natural cleaning properties. Hot water with lemon is also very helpful to:

balance out pH levels
help with digestion issues
hydrate our lymph systems
give our immune systems a boost
clear up your skin


I have added herbs and roots to this morning ritual not only does it make it even tastier but there are tons of health benefits too:

Cinnamon is a great herb to help with arthritis relief, acts as an anti inflammatory and anti bacterial agent as well as regulates blood sugar.

Tumeric is helpful in fat metabolism and can help with weight management. Tumeric is also a natural detoxifier for your liver. Tumeric is also a  very powerful anti inflammatory herb.

Ginger root is awesome for digestion, it can reduce pain and inflammation as well as, prevent colds and flus, relieve migraines and menstrual cramps.

What I found was that it was not really coffee I required in the morning as part of my day as much as it was me needing to take in something warm into my body each morning. Switching my morning ritual from coffee to my beauty elixir has been something I really needed. Not only did I slim down from omitting the creamer and sweetener in my cup each day, my skin looks amazing. Literally its been glowing and I get even more compliments on it. I don't have the 3 pm coffee crash, I'm actually able to stay up later at night with out feeling too exhausted. I don't munch in between clients as much as I used to,  the lemon and cinnamon really help me regulate my blood sugar. I sip this elixir all day and I feel quiet satisfied.

Do you think you could put down the coffee and mix up your own elixir?

Full Moon Ritual- Intention Setting

I was out for a walk tonight under this last full moon of the Summer. A Harvest Super Moon. It was bright and beautiful. As I walked I took a little bit of time to reflect on whats going on in my world. What has happened during these last few weeks of Summer and what I'd like to see happen in the early Fall. There was a crispness in the air. I was bundled up, moon gazing. Feeling lucky and excited for a new approaching season.

What would you like to start this Autumn? Any intentions that need setting, goals that need reaching, magic that needs making? The time to start those tasks is now. Take a moment and make a list of things you want to manifest. Believe you can do it and get it done.

September Self Care

Schedules get so busy when September rolls around. How are you caring for yourself?

I think September is all about Self Care. What does Self Care mean to you? To me self care is the practice of putting into practice things that I NEED to do to care for myself and make sure there is balance in my life.

September is a great month to start implementing these rituals. Before you know it the even busier holiday schedules will be rolling around and we will be wishing we had started carving out time and making these important dates with ourselves.


Don't know where to begin with self care? Want to take some time to make it happen but where do you start? Here are some handy dandy suggestions.  Print and hang on your fridge, add in some ideas of your own and make September all about self care. I'll  be back next month with another calendar to give you some  inspiration.

Fabulous Fall Skin

It's that time of year again. Days grow shorter, weather gets colder and for most of us our skin feels these effects.

When the weather changes and we start dressing for colder weather many people forget to still care for their skin. This is a huge no- no. Your skin is your largest organ and should always be maintained to keep it healthy and glowing. Here are a few ideas on things you can add to your healthy well beautiful skin routine.

-Keep hydrated. Just because its getting chillier outside does not mean you should skimp on your water  intake. A great calculation to determine your water intake is the following

Take your body weight and divide that number by two.

Divide that number by eight. 

Your answer its the approximate amount of 8 ounce glasses of water you should be drinking every day. 

If you lead a very physical lifestyle, working out etc you can add an additional two glasses of water into your final answer above.

Be sure to stay hydrated but don't over do it on the water intake. Water just like all healthy life style habits is about moderation. You don't want to be out of balance with water levels.

- Switch up your cleanser. Using a soapy gel based cleanser can leave your body feeling stripped of moisture during the Fall. Going soap free and switching up to a creamy body wash to scrub up can leave your feeling and looking its best. 

- Protect your hands and lips. Seek out a fabulous lip balm and a fantastic hand cream. These are two hand bag must haves for myself. I love having soft kissable lips and as a massage and skin care therapist I pride myself on my always soft hands. 

-Exfoliate I can never stress enough the importance of exfoliating your skin. Exfoliating sloughs off dead dry skin cells, revealing fresh skin. It will also help you with circulation and waking up your lymph system . I recommend exfoliating during your morning shower to increase lymph drainage. An oil based scrub is always a great way to go during the colder months.

Here is a quick DIY body scrub you can make at home.

Hello Autumn Body Scrub

1/ 2 cup of coffee grounds

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup carrier oil (olive, grape seed, kukui oil, sweet almond, avacado)

6-8 drops of clove essential oil

6-8 drops of  myrrh essential oil 

6-8  drops of sandalwood essential oil

Begin Again...

                                                         
September has always been a time for beginnings for me. Maybe its because I always loved school, but there is a freshness to Septembers energy. It motivates me. It inspires me. It has me thinking of reunions, reinvention and reinvestment.

On today the first day of September I am reinvesting my time here
on Absolutely Blissed. I have spent a big chunk of the Summer working on myself, my business and my family. It's past time to spread that energy here.

Life is about to get very busy. Children are back in school, Fall sports are starting up and the days will be getting shorter soon enough. Do you have a self care plan lined up this Fall? How will you be caring for the most important person in your life ... you?

I have been on a self care regime lately that has really been paying off. Eating clean and taking time to walk an hour every day is really changing my whole attitude and energy level.

Here are a few other self care ideas in case you need some new ideas:

-bubble bath.
-meditate
-wake up 30 minutes sooner, so you don't feel rushed
-schedule quiet time for you everyday
-enjoy a cup of tea
-get a massage or facial
-treat yourself (a new shirt, an ice cream cone, a lip gloss)
-unplug before 9 pm
- get  into bed by 9pm one day a week
-keep a journal
-make something
-dance around your living room to your favorite playlist

These are little things I have done in the past to take time out for myself. Making time for ourselves helps to create balance in our lives. When we are balanced our lives flow.