Our lives have been a bit out of the norm lately. Following Alan's accident we have been as far away from our daily routine as we could ever be. Who am I kidding? There is no way to sugarcoat our life, it's been chaotic. I've been feeling emotionally exhausted lately, with all we've been having to deal with in the military, one second they know what they're doing the next they don't and it's all at the expense of my husband's health. Don't let anyone fool you, free things aren't always quality things --If you're a military family you'll understand what I mean. It's been a fight, but I think our assertive efforts have finally payed off. All of the stress has lead to late nights (usually spent reading handbooks, and discussing our next step) followed by early mornings appointment(s). It goes without saying our household has had quite the cranks living under its' roof. We aren't the perfect family, there are times we are at each other's throats, but we always find our way back to eating popcorn on the couch laughing at things like, Tom Sandoval crying on Vanderpump Rules-- is that insensitive?
We are a family that functions on a routine, so once our routine went out the window, everything pretty much collapsed. My dish-less sink now has dishes stacked in it, Lyla is now waking up throughout the night (she never had a problem sleeping through the night before), Alan hasn't been able to take a shower since January, I haven't attended to my eyebrows in over two months--need I go on? Naturally, I have been trying to find a way to get us back to some sort of routine during this circus show. I started to make a mental list of things I knew we weren't getting: adequate sleep, consistent meals (home cooked, like we're used to), personal time, quality time, work-time, physical exercise. It wasn't until I checked my mailbox that something clicked. The most important thing my family has been missing is balance. A great start to restoring balance is to set goals, assess your personal needs, and make time. We sat down and discussed what each persons' personal needs were, and made family goals that will help us get back to a routine, for instance, putting Lyla down between 7-8 and getting ourselves in bed by 10.
Something I need is to set aside personal time for myself, even if it is 15 mins alone to shower, the door is shut and locked, so not even the cutest of munchkins can get in. During my 15-20 minutes of alone time, I'm focusing on myself. Lately, I have been failing to remove all of my makeup before bed, and my skin is reaping the consequences. For the most part I have normal skin, it doesn't need much attention other than cleansing, but for some reason when I am stressed or when I am about to start my period, my skin tends to change from normal to combination.
A brand I love and trust, is Ole Henriksen, they happen to be the makers of one of my favorite Eye Gels --which I need after a long day. Lately though, I have been loving products from their collection, Balance. When being massaged into the skin the cleanser will provide a minty-cool sensation-- I love that feeling, I get the same satisfaction from Paul Mitchell's Tea Tree Shampoo and conditioner. The light eucalyptus scent that all of the products from this collection have, help me to feel refreshed and relaxed after a long day. The Balance Force Toner happens to be my favorite product from their collection for a simple reason, most toners I have tried have a strong rubbing alcohol scent to them and this one does not. The lightweight Counter Balance Hydrator is going to be the product that lasts the longest, a little goes a ways with this, I use one pump, once a day. Another of my favorite go-to products when I'm absolutely exhausted is the 93,000 Miles by the obvious, Lush Cosmetics. There's just something about a quiet, hot, peppermint/eucalyptus scented shower at the end of the day that helps me balance.
What helps you restore balance in your life?
This is a complimentary post provided by Ole Henriksen and Influenster.
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