How I Clear Up My Eczema | Glowy, Healthy Skin Edition

I hosted a live video chat on my Instagram channel earlier this week sharing how eczema has affected not only me but my children for years. Eczema has been a skin problem that has plagued me and my children and I have been on a diligent search to find a solution that would clear up the irritating breakouts.

I'm not saying I've found a cure, but I've definitely found that the following solutions have reduced our eczema flare ups dramatically.

Use an apple cider vinegar rinse as needed.

I've found that by using an apple cider vinegar rinse on my hair and skin, most of my eczema has dried up as a result. 

I typically mix one part ACV to one part water in a bottle. My eczema is concentrated to my scalp, so after co-washing, I'll pour some over my scalp and rinse with cool water. To treat my scalp in between washes, I use a spray bottle to spritz affected areas. I have not had to do this in almost a year. Before implementing the strategies I'm sharing today I had to apply the ACV rinse almost weekly.

4 Ways to Be Your Best from the Inside Out

People are often surprised by my age and think I'm younger than I am. I don't mind it now, but when I was in my twenties I hated looking young. I think the assumption is derived by observing my height (I'm 5,1) my build (I weigh 120 pounds), my hair, skin, and nails. 

In my early twenties, self-care became very important to me. Taking time to do things that made me happy and nurtured me from the inside out was a normal part of my routine. This got a little harder when I became a wife and mom. In all honesty, it fell by the wayside for some years. When our kids were little, self-care was put on the back burner. As my kids got older, I didn't naturally resume self-care habits. It wasn't until one day when my husband forced me to stop putting everyone first all of the time and to take time for myself. He noticed I was often unhappy and tired. I didn't realize, the kids had gotten older and it was okay to not give them every bit of my time and energy.

When my youngest son was eight years old, I put me back on the priority list. I set a goal to cultivate a habit of pampering myself with quality products, food, and healthy habits again. Five years later, I am glad I did. I just turned 40 years old and I feel amazing. Here are some of the main habits that contribute to my youthfulness and overall inner peace.

Virginia Date Night Outfit

Any chance I get to hang out with my babe I'm on board. Dating is a key component to our marriage. We love eating out, catching a new movie and spending time together. This weekend we were in Glen Allen Virginia. We knew before going up there, we were going to have two date nights and I was looking forward to them. I love getting dressed up for my babe. 

Summer Animal Print

I am having an amazing summer and these animal print pants are making it even better. There's just something about putting on an outfit that allows you to express who you are. If I had to describe myself in one word it would be BOLD and that's what these pants make me feel.

They are from the LOFT and the print instantly caught my eye when I first saw them. They are linen with a navy blue and white animal print.

Father's Day Weekend Fashion | Animal Print

This Father's Day weekend was epic only because I got to spend it with the most amazing man evah!

I wanted to make sure he felt really special from the time he got off work Friday until the time he laid his head on his pillow Sunday night. That's pretty much what happened and all the while I gave him something absolutely gorgeous to look at.

My Weekend in Virginia Fashion Look Book

I spent a wonderful weekend away in Glen Allen, a small suburb in Richmond, Virginia. I wasn't sure what to expect since I'd never been there. We were heading up for a family reunion and they weather was unseasonable hot. Since it would be hot I packed some super light weight pieces to wear. 

4 Ways to Make Morning Workouts Simpler

Today I'm sharing 4 Ways to Make Morning Workouts Simpler. The post and my shopping trip is sponsored. All opinions are mine alone. #ListerineBOLD  

Do you want to be the fittest YOU this summer?

If so, I’m going to help you. We're going to start by putting together a game plan to make sure you get to the gym a few days a week.

Exercising is one of the best ways to feel good from the inside out. If you’ve been considering working out, you should do it. I don’t know of too many things that will make you feel energized from the inside out other than exercising.

One of my biggest struggles with exercising consistently was the time it took to get ready and actually get to the gym.

One day, my husband and I sat down and I told him all of the things that were holding me back from going to the gym, and we came up with practical solutions for them all.

One of my biggest hurdles was getting out of the house early without waking everyone. I told my husband everything I needed to do each morning before leaving. After looking over the list, we came up with practical solutions to make sure I could eat, do my hygiene and have everything I needed to exercise without making too much noise.

Old Navy "The Diva" shorts, coral shirt dress and Bib Necklace

Errands are a regular part of my week and I never want to run them looking like I just dragged myself out of bed. 

I have a really simple method for choosing clothes to run errands in which includes flats, shorts or a skirt and feminine shirt. 

Typically, I'd want to throw on some sweats, a tee shirt and some sneakers, but the dressing is easier since I don't own seat pants or many tee shirts.

Since I was just running to Walgreens for a few things, I grabbed my comfy Old Navy "The Diva" shorts, a spandex tank top, a coral shirt dress and added some bling.

The chunky bracelet, necklace and gold leather wrap watch dressed up what would have felt like a plain outfit.

Instead of just a plain sandal, I pulled out my gold and rhinestone thongs.

My hair is in a mini flat twist toward the back finished off with a French bun. The bangs are four loose flat twists that were pinned in place.

It was too hot for makeup today, so I kept it very simple and natural. Finally, I wore the earrings that came with the bib necklace I bought in the fall.

#Frumpy2Fab | DANG GURL...YOU LOOK UH-MAY-ZING!!!!

I'm just popping in to share a quick outfit of the day. Of course one of my outfits Monday through Thursday will be workout related since I do workout 4-5 days a week.

Today I'm wearing my Victoria's Secret Angel tee with some yoga leggings and my favorite running shoes...the Nike Free 4.0 V3 Livestrong. 

My hair is just a twist out pulled back away from my face with a hairband.

With the cold snap, snow and rain, it's been harder to stay consistent with going to the gym.

I seriously wake up some days and tell myself I'm not going. 

Then I remember that it will be warmer soon and I'll regret not putting in work over the winter when I see muffin top witting over the waistline of my jeans.

Looking as good as I did when I was in my 20's is THE ONLY THING that motivates me to keep working out.

My husband talks about the health benefits....blah, blah, blah. The health benefits are great but it doesn't motivate me to get my butt to the gym. 

What motivates me is looking in that mirror and thinking, "dang girl...you look amazing!!"

No wait....it's more like DANG GURL...YOU LOOK UH-MAY-ZING!!!!

You have to know what motivates you and use it to your advantage because if you don't LOVE working out and it's not your profession, it's hard to keep going some days.

What's your motivation? Find it and work it!!

 

#Frumpy2Fab | I'm Skinny but Strong | Why Being Skinny is Not so Bad

I've been hitting the gym hard the last 2 month trying to maintain muscle tone on these skinny legs.

Ever since becoming a vegetarian a few months ago I've gotten super lean. I've always been petite but now I'm petite and lean.

 My legs are skinny but they are strong. In fact I'm lifting 240 pounds on the leg press machine which is amazing since I'm only 118 pounds and just over 5 feet.

I used to hate being so skinny so I started eating more to put on weight, but with weight comes fat. I'm tired of the weight rat race so I'm just going to eat what I love and accept my body the way it is...skinny and all.

People often think because you're skinny you have it made, but it not so. You struggle with not being voluptuous and curvacious. You struggle with not being able to find clothes that fit and often resort to shopping in the children's section.

It's a mess but I'm at a point where I don't care about being bigger. I'll turn 37 in two weeks and I'm just happy to be alive, healthy and strong.

If petitie is what God intended for me to be, that's what I'll be.

And yes...my shirt is from the children's section.

#Frumpy2Fab | How I rock my red Skinny Jeans | Nailed It!!

I'm still trying to learn the settings on my camera and the editing software I use so be patient with my present grainy photos.

So far it's hit and miss but I still am going to share these pictures because I looked amazing.

I'm wearing that top I bought in the Fall and some red skinny jeans.

My shoes which I love are from Forever 21 but they hurt when worn for more than an hour. But they are ka-ute!!

All of my jewelry picks for this outfit are gold toned and were ordered online during the Fall.

My favorite piece is the bib necklace and matching earrings.

My hair was in a basic twist out and I was hanging out with my husband on this day so I wanted to look amazing for him.

Nailed it!!

#Frumpy2Fab | I Heart the Bib Necklace

A few weeks ago I order two necklaces, one of which was a bib necklace. I wore it with a red New York and Co. collard striped shirt, some red jeans and the gold sandals on the right in the first picture in this post. My hair was done in a simple twist out.

I already own one bib necklace that's a bit different from this one because it's shaped like "V" which works perfectly for v-neck shirts. 

This one is shaped like a crescent. What made me fall in love with this necklace was the design and the bling.

 The stones in this necklace sparkle in the sun which makes this necklace especially great for the Fall since it's not as sunny as the Summer months. 

 The reflection of the sun on this necklace in the Fall is the exact impact I was hoping for when I bought it.

So as I'm out and about wearing my necklace it'll be just the thing to sparkly and hopefully brighten someones day.
 

I've found accessories to be a conversation starter amongst women. I have struck up conversation with several women over the last few months simply because they've admired my jewelry.

That works just fine for me since making my commitment to be more outgoing. 

Who would have thought statement pieces would really make a statement?

#Frumpy2Fab | Fall Skinnies

There's one thing I enjoy doing and that is getting dressed up.

I always have and as a wife I enjoy it even more. I love how excited my husband gets when I look good so I make sure I get dressed up most days of the week.

Here's a peek at what I wore recently.

• Gap skinnies
• Forever 21 Flower Top
• Accessories

• Aqua / Silver skinnies
• tank top
• Black sequined shrug
• Necklace & Earrings

Cute and Affordable Tops for Fall

A few weeks ago I ordered 5 shirts and 2 sets of statement accessories for the Fall. 

Before that I cleared my closet of the tops I would not be wearing this year and set them aside to be donated. 

I'll share a the ones I kept in a later video.

My two orders arrived in about 7 days and I decided to make this video showing you what the tops looked like when they arrive.


 

#Frumpy2Fab | Transitioning My Wardrobe from Summer to Fall | What I Wore

The weather is starting to change up a bit meaning one day I can wear shorts and then the next day of the same week required pants.

This is the time of year love and am able to get the most out of my wardrobe as the temperatures flip flop while the seasons transition.

Here's a peek as some of what I wore last week.

Top: Walmart

Shorts: Old Navy

Purse: Coach

Bangles: Forever21

Chunky Bracelet: Sears

Sandals: Calvin Klein

Earrings: Amazon

Dress: 6PM (similar here and here)

Sandals: Classified (similar here)

Accessories: Amazon

Top: Ann Taylor the Loft (similar here & here)

Pants: New York and Company

Sandals: Classified (similar here)

Necklace: Forever21

Bracelet: Sears

 Nail Color: Sally Hansen Green with Envy

Frumpy2Fab Fashion Wrap Up

I made it through the first week of getting three kids back to school and didn't miss a beat in my fashion routine.

I truly think I'm getting the hang of getting dressed more days out of the week than not. 

Here's a look at what I wore last Friday as well as a peek at my makeup routine.

#Frumpy2Fab | High Waist Dress

I've been wearing a lot of dresses lately and this one from Target's Mossimo line is super cute. I picked it and a black one up on clearance last summer.

It has a high waist is my favorite style for moms who may not want to accentuate the tummy area. The high waist lift the eye further up the body and away from the midsection.

The addition of a really nice belt adds an extra layer of detail to an otherwise classic dress.

 

To play of the gold detail in the belt I wore some of the gold jewelry from my Fall Jewelry Trends list.









I got my belt from my Mother in Law, but you can probably find one like this at the Goodwill for under $3. I always see them in a variety of colors.

For my makeup I went neutral. My husband likes earth tones and translucent lips.

#Frumpy2Fab | Emerald Green and Polka Dots

Today I'm dispelling the myth that you can't look great on a budget. In fact there are so many resources available that you never have to pay full price for clothes or accessories.

My primary resource for inexpensive fashion is second hand finds. Whether gifted items or items purchase at a second hand store, there are many great pieces to be acquired if you are looking.

I recently asked for advice on this emerald green and polka dot outfit. I wanted to know which accessories I should wear with them.

I asked my A Proverbs Wife facebook friends should I wear the white or the gold accessories and it sparked many inquiries about the skirt and where I'd gotten it.

This skirt was a second hand finds. It was gifted to me so I paid $0!

The top is by Metaphor from Sears and is on sale for $9.

While I liked the gold accessories best many of you voted for the white.

 I ended up wearing the gold because it felt right for how I was feeling that day. Either would work just fine.

I wore these cute Bongo Junior's Hoop Earrings - Hexagon earrings and Bongo Hexagon/Honeycomb Pieces Bundle chain with a chunky gold bracelet from Sears.

I finished off the look with a small Coach wristlet I bought on sale that's just large enough to hold my iPhone, lip gloss, debit card and chewing gum.