EcoPaper makes stationary, notebooks, and journals from ecological tree-free and acid-free paper.

Monarch Butterfly Tree-Free Paper Journal – $6.99

Looking for a job, going after what we want in life while just trying to live, hey, just life itself, it’s stressful! And with stress, comes skin issues…like blemishes, yay! Blemishes also come out with any implementation of a new skin regimen that is doing the work it should be doing, allowing toxins out of the skin where they belong, they come from hormones, the seasons, environmental influences and many other factors…they’re not just for teenagers anymore!
The first step to any blemish covering routine is to treat your skin.

• Exfoliate or peel the skin (if it isn’t red or irritated)
• Use a good anti-inflammatory cleanser daily
• Tone the skin with ingredients like natural retinol, salicylic acid, vitamin c
• Use a medicated serum, preferably one with antibacterials and immune system strengtheners
• You may also choose a skin brightening product if you are trying to eliminate scarring
• Moisturize with a natural, very absorbable oil, yes I said oil, using a sparse amount of product while damp from toning and using your serum (you can also mix your serum with your moisturizer)

Now conceal.

• Find a concealer with active ingredients that treat your blemishing rather than just cover up the color.You want to know that you aren’t clogging your pores, but actually treating your skin while covering up your blemis h!
• Find a concealer with a slightly pinkish tone to first match the tone of your blemish, brighten the area and neutralize any discoloration, sort of fooling any viewer into thinking you have no blemishes!
• Next, cover the area with a creamy concealer in a yellowish tone that covers up the entire area, blending flawlessly into your own skin tone.
• Best last step – finish with a makeup “setter” – the best natural form of this being a loose or pressed powder in a translucent color. This will set the whole thing and keep your work looking fresh as long as possible.
• Of course, it’s important to wash your hands and keep your tools clean so you don’t unnecessarily spread bacteria. Clea n your tools with hot soap and water preferably after each use (keep at least a couple of each brush on hand for just this reason).

Now live your life and don’t worry! More often than not, we are the only people that even KNOW we have the blemishes we do! Enjoy!

Glacial Blue Tooth Oil, $24.95

This week I’m thinking about motivation. Motivation and inspiration. How do some of us enter into some careers (usually by default rather than goal setting and getting what we specifically want) and some others, and how knowing ourselves, being confident and having a very specific, well thought out plan of attack (much like a well-designed business plan for life) is so important at every stage, every time we reach our goals.

In any case, here’s a link to great personality type quiz. Some of us at suki® took it, I took it as well, and we all found it to be dead on (mine was creative).

Check it out and come back this week for some info on motivation and empowerment !

Since this week is largely turned into a week about self-esteem, I thought it fitting to introspect, or perhaps retrospect, to repost my recent huffington post blog, which speaks to body image and links up to another biting commentary on the media and women, self-esteem and how the world and we view women and ourselves, the Ashley Judd post (why not continue to give it some more mileage right?).

And why not end on a high, coming full circle with my new heroes, the Brits, who made a fuss yet again over a corpse-like H&M model – check it out!

Swimsuit season is fast approaching. Makes me think about how we perceive our bodies actually. I myself am overly concerned with the 8 pounds I’ve gained in the last year. Yes, 8. Exactly 8, since last May 23 to be exact when I have pictures of myself competing in my last dance comp when I thought my body was at its best. Ridiculousness! To be negative I mean…not to be healthy. And I know for a fact, when I have a different mindset, I’m so much the happier. I know if I put less pressure on myself, I actually become my best self, I can engage in healthier habits instead of obsessing about what I “can’t” have and “shouldn’t” allow myself and then of course, go right for it – when I don’t obsess, I simply behave in a way that supports by best self!

So, maybe let’s change the discussion. Let’s make it about self-acceptance, the truth of who we are and not our lowest perceptions, about health, rather than thinness, replacing our should’s with what if’s, our bad me’s with good for you’s! How can we do that and how can we raise ourselves up to feel better about what we do have, who we currently are?

I mean, this time of year, the media headlines all share a common theme – promoting quick weight loss and summer shape-ups, so even the most confident, healthy folks are quick to question their bodies. And if we aren’t talking about shape, we’re talking about how smelly we are! It’s insane!

We all know that body image is not based on facts, but emotions – ever sensitive to our moods, environment, circumstance, and our physical experiences. And, our body image is a learned behavior, shaped by our families, peers, culture, and by what we see around us every day. But interestingly, body image is affected more by our self-esteem than our actual physical attributes. So the best place to begin improving how we feel about our bodies is to work on how we feel about ourselves. The first step is to become aware of our self-talk. Start noticing the things you tell yourself throughout the day. What we say about ourselves ultimately is what we feel, and greatly affects our self-esteem.

If your mind is filled with words like, “I’m not good enough”, “I look so fat in this”, or “I could never do that”, then that is exactly what will occur. I believe that with every inch of my being. I also believe that if we send ourselves and send out messages of “this is what I will accomplish,” “this is what I will look like,” “I will be a great dancer” and “I will achieve success at________” you bet I will, and anyone can. Not that everyone doesn’t have feelings self-doubt, but you can grow a strong sense of self, learn to quiet those feelings, talk back to that inner voice, and reframe negative thoughts to positive and encouraging ones.

Rick Carson, in his wonderful book, Taming Your Gremlin, (a book I read a decade ago) tells us, “you are not your body. Bodies are constantly changing masses of matter. You are not your personality. Personalities are networks of behaviors that emerge from a matrix of beliefs we hold about who we are. We’re not our beliefs. Beliefs are just opinions we develop loyalty to. And we’re not our thoughts. We have thoughts.” So what are we according to Carson? Our life. “You get the consciousness to appreciate your gift of life and respond to it however you would like, moment to moment and day to day,” he says. The chance to rewrite our story each and every day is our power to utilize, and we should strive to make it one we look forward to using to our advantage!

Remember Stuart Smalley, that character we all laughed at from Saturday Night Live? “I’m good enough, Im smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like me?” Well, there’s a lot of truth in it, which is probably why it was so funny and lasts to this day. Positive affirmations WORK! Just like negative self-talk works, so does positive self-talk. So the minute you hear yourself saying bad things to yourself, replace those words with some words of encouragement. If YOU don’t think you deserve it, come on, who else is going to? Give yourself a little warm blanket of love, and watch how life changes.

Yoga hasn’t stayed this hot, for this long, for nothing! Did you know you can actually change your body type, it’s shape (for instance a once stout shape becomes lengthier), by doing your daily practice – lengthening your muscles and creating the lithe, willowy, but super strong form we all crave.

But even if you don’t yet have the desire to dedicate yourself to a true daily practice, making just a few poses part of your morning, or daily, routine, (ritual even), will change your life (and your body)!

Here are some essential yoga poses that, if you start now, will actually show a benefit in your energy levels, how you breathe, look and feel all day long! Check em out and make them part of your life, just as much a part as eating and breathing has always been… Being a longtime yoga lover myself, and from experience I can say, you’ll never regret this, I swear!

Know your beauty, know your shape, know your best fit, and I’m telling you, your life will tilt the right way. That mirror will suddenly smile back at you! People on the beach, the double takes…what do you think they are responding to REALLY? It’s confidence baby!

Check out this link to find the perfect swimsuit for your body shape and make this summer the best one yet!

And here are some uv protective bathing suits and beachwear we found, that you can feel good about wearing!

I adore (and actually did a review on one of these earlier this year) these UV protective shirts for a long day at the beach…check them out!

This is not the old days…the choices are no longer slathering on white uv, or chemically laden uv protection or covering ourselves with a bunch of towels for protection! We’ve got tons of choices when we go out that actually look good! So pick the perfect shape for you, stop worrying about who or what you aren’t and get out there and enjoy life!

Now if only the weather would make up it’s mind…

Beyond Skin $257

• Dinner of the Month – Each month mom will pick a different gourmet meal, which will be delivered complete, to her door, including a specialty pasta, premium sauce, and one additional gourmet item (usually a seasoning, oil, or appetizer). She can choose from the finest pastas and sauces from award-winning chefs and restaurants in both Italy and the U.S. and, while we may include recipe suggestions for meat and seafood dishes, none of our gourmet sauces include a meat base so our dinner club is 100% vegetarian-friendly. Check it out!
• No Typical bouquets this year! Fresh produce is all the rage! You can find unique herbs, trees, flowers and succlings you can replant in your backyard or in your window.
• Or my personal preference, cakes and cupcakes from William Sonoma!
• A charitable donation in her name – would be an amazingly cool thing to do!
• Take your mom to the park if the weather permits. Sit on the glider and chat. Enjoy the atmosphere and the company.
• Go bowling. Make a day of it: shoot pool, have pizza or subs, and just have fun. Some moms don’t get out a lot, caught up in the housework and tending kids, so she might enjoy a day of exercise and laughs.
• Take Mom to the movies. Let her choose the movie, you take care of the snacks and drinks. She’ll have a great time and every time she sees that movie in the future, she’ll think of you.
• Consider taking your mom to visit a friend or family member that she rarely sees. Driving for an hour or two to make your mom happy is a cool way to spend this Mother’s Day.
• Go with your mom to get photographs together. You’ll treasure these photographs and so will she. The photos don’t have to be ordinary – consider fun photo studios where you dress up like you’re in the Wild West or similar photos. Make sure you have an appointment in advance.
• Go skating. Ice or roller skating rinks are usually open year-round and give you a unique choice for spending time with Mom.
• Take your mom shopping at a store that specializes in something like coffee, spa and bath products, or something else your mom likes. You don’t have to go to a great expense, if you can’t afford it, just let her pick out an item or two.
• Visit a nearby flea market or ride around and look for yard sales. If your mom likes bargains she’ll really enjoy a flea market trip with you.
• Take your mom to a place she enjoyed as a child. Over the years you’ve likely heard your mom mention places she loved as a child so take her to one of these places and she’ll be full of fabulous memories for the day.
• Treat your mom by taking her to a nearby large town, if she lives in a smaller town. Moms sometimes fall into routines of kids, housework and errands, and that often means rare trips out of their own town. You’ll be surprised at how many free things there are to do in a large town, too. Your mom can have a great time visiting museums, stopping to eat somewhere different, and just spending time with her child.
• Take Mom for a massage. Who wouldn’t love to relax and unwind, and enjoy a nice massage? Join her and have a massage for yourself, too.
• Give your mom a surprise party. It’ll be a huge surprise since most moms don’t expect a party on Mother’s Day. Set out photo albums of Mom when she was younger, and ones that contain photos of her and her children. She’ll love the thought you put into this surprise.
• Take your mom swimming. There are indoor pools if the weather is bad. Pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the day.
• If you’re an older child with younger siblings, Mom might enjoy all of you taking her to the zoo. Moms are all about seeing their children happy – even on her special day. The zoo will thrill the little kids and Mom alike.
• Offer to take the other children and let Mom have a day alone. A day of peace and quiet, freedom to do whatever she feels like, and not having to deal with children for one whole day could be just what the doctor ordered for multi-tasking moms.

Doing something special for Mom on Mother’s Day doesn’t have to mean a great expense or the same-ol’-same-ol’. Plan something new and different this year; Mom will love it and so will you.