• Self Care

    Coconut Detox Mask

    Hey Everyone!

    Today, I am bringing back my favorite brand Kopari! I am highlighting their Coconut Detox Mask today. I love the way it makes my skin feel and the smell is great too. Their product is dermatologist-testing, non-allergenic, safe for sensitive skin, has no artificial fragrances, silicone free, and phthalate free. 

    I love using face masks for self-care because they make me feel relaxed. It helps me to feel like I’m having a mini spa day. Sometimes that’s all I need to feel a little less stressed. My skin always feels so smooth and healthy afterwards too. They state, “Our detoxifying clay mask helps to pull impurities out of pores while probiotics help to calm inflammation, and superfoods replenish skin with essential nutrients.” My skin never feels dry after using this, unlike other clay masks I have used in the past. In fact, my skin even feels more moisturized after using it. 

    As always you can use my code below for 20% off your entire purchase!!

    ACTIVEBEAUTYBLOG20

    You can also follow the link below to take you directly to this product!

    As always, thank you for taking the time to read my blog. It means the world to me. Please let me know in the comments below what you would like  me to talk about next. If you love my blog, please subscribe.

  • Workouts

    Cable Chest Workout

    Hey Everyone!

    Today, I’m sharing one of my favorite chest workouts with you!! I usually do this workout about once a week on chest day. I really felt a difference when I started to incorporate this workout into my chest day. I feel so much stronger with this workout. I like to use the 2.5 to 7.5 pound weight on the cable machine for this workout for each arm. Try to keep your arms slightly bent so you don’t hyperextend. Focus on flexing your chest with each movement, really feel it. 

    I do three sets of the following:

    Standing Cable Crossover Press / Flyes 10 Reps 

    Standing Decline Cable Press 10 Reps 

    Single Arm Low Cable Crossover  10 Reps (Each Arm)

    Here is a video of me doing these exercises so that you can see what they are if you are unfamiliar with them! I have sped up this video a little bit so when you do it keep your movements slow and controlled. You will see results faster if you do this. 

    I hope you loved today’s workout! Let me know what you think in the comments below. If you want to see more workouts like this please subscribe below for weekly emails. Thank you so much for checking out today’s post.

  • Products I Love

    Girl, Stop Apologizing

    Hey Everyone! Today I am sharing a book that I read this summer that I loved!! It’s “Girl, Stop Apologizing, A shame-free plan for embracing and achieving your goals”, by Rachel Hollis. I don’t know about you guys but the pandemic took away some of my drive. I’m usually super motivated but I was starting to slip back into depression and old habits that I used to have. I feel as though this book lit me back on fire!

    I really like the way this book is set up. It talks about limiting beliefs to let go of first and then how to change those beliefs into something better. I really love to read self-help books but I often feel myself getting very bored of the content, this is usually where I start reading another book instead. I don’t feel that way about Rachel Hollis’ books. They always keep me entertained and help me to learn new things.

    Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:

    “Not having the knowledge just makes you teachable, not stupid. Not being in shape makes you moldable, not lazy. Not having the experience makes you eager, not ignorant. Flip the script and force yourself to see the positive, where you have only seen the negative.” 

    I love this because I know I myself get caught up in thinking the negative side. Why do we do that? Why don’t we think of the positive side first? I am going to strive to do this for myself. 

    “When your light shines brighter, other’s won’t be harmed by the glare; they’ll be encouraged to become a more luminescent version of themselves. That’s what leadership looks like.”

    Why do we feel that when we become a better version of ourselves, we will somehow hurt others? Instead, we should think that we will be inspiring others to become better themselves. That way we can all be better together!

    “You have to choose to be positive, to see the possibility and to see the blessings in your life each day. You choose your thoughts, and there isn’t one thing running through your mind that you didn’t allow there.”

    I truly believe you choose your own thoughts. I have been in the deepest depression before. I know what that is like. I fight everyday not to get back there. Does this mean that I don’t think depression exists? Absolutely not, it is very real. If you need help to quit thinking terrible things, go get that help. There is NOTHING wrong with that whatsoever. I do think that eventually you do have to take a stand for yourself and refuse to think the negative things. As soon as I feel those thoughts coming back, I push them away as fast and they came.

    “For all my dreamers, for all my hustlers, for all my girls reading this who are building and planning, don’t you dare compare your beginning with someone else’s middle.”

    I love this quote the very most. How often do we find ourselves comparing ourselves to others around us? I know I do but I am working everyday to quit that. I feel that you can do it in all aspects of your life, your job, your hobbies, your relationships. Comparison truly is the thief of joy. Refuse to compare yourself to someone that has been doing it for much longer, it is not fair to yourself. 

    I hope that if you need some motivation you will give this book a chance. I really think that it can help to propel you toward your goals in life. Please let me know what you think in the comments below. If you’ve read this book, what do you think? Thank you for reading my post today!

  • Healthy Meals

    Simple Shrimp

    Today’s post is a recipe for air fryer shrimp. It is perfect for when you are in a rush or just need something that is quick to make. I like to make it for lunch because it’s simple, healthy, and Shane hates shrimp. That way I can enjoy it without feeling guilty that he won’t have anything to eat. 

    Ingredients:

    2 Shrimp Skewers (Seafood Department 5 shrimp per skewer)

    1 Tbsp Spray Olive Oil 

    1 tsp Cajun Seasoning

    Recipe:

    1. Preheat your airfryer to 390℉. 
    2. Spray both sides of your shrimp skewers with your olive oil spray, just a thin layer.
    3. Lightly season each side with your cajun seasoning.
    4. Lay them criss-cross in your air fryer and cook for 6 minutes.
    5. Enjoy!

    I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. I love to eat this by itself or over a plate of rice. Please let me know in the comments below, if you do. If you are interested in more healthy recipes please subscribe below.

  • Self Care

    Listen to Your Body And Mind

    Hi Everyone!

    Today, I am talking about listening to your body and mind for self-care. I think that we all struggle with this from time to time. I know that I do. 

    So what do I mean, listen to your body and mind?

    A perfect example would be from this morning for me. My leg started hurting yesterday morning while I was running, so I slowed and walked for the rest of my 2 mile goal. When I got home, my leg was still aching. So I iced it. This morning when I got up to go for another run and my leg was still aching. I didn’t go and that’s okay! 

    I have a goal this month to run 50 miles. I am at 42 and I’m not going to give up. My way of getting there might just look a little different than I had imagined. I thought I would be able to run the full 50. I might end up having to walk 9 of those miles. Though it wasn’t what I originally had planned on, I will still get there.

    I have learned over the years to be flexible with my goals. If something isn’t feeling right, maybe I’m too stressed or my body hurts, it’s okay to adjust my goal to match. Now this doesn’t mean be easy on yourself but it does mean don’t be too hard on yourself. If your body is physically hurting, you need to listen to it. If I had kept running, even when my leg was hurting, that could lead to a serious injury. I may have to go easy for a few days until it feels better, but what if I seriously injured it and had to be out for months! It’s so worth it to listen to your body and let it heal itself. 

    I love the quote, “Your mind and body will tell you exactly what it needs. All you have to do is listen.”. If you are exhausted in the morning, maybe sleep in if you can. If you have a headache, stop doing whatever is triggering it. If you have an achy muscle, ice and rest it. If your mind is racing and stressed, take a break or go easier on yourself. 

    I also love the quote, “Listening to your body and honoring it’s signals is one of the true forms of self-love”.

    I think that this topic is very important and I hope you loved learning about it. I challenge you to listen to your body and mind, please take care of yourself before you are forced to. Please let me know what you think of this topic in the comments below. If you love my content, please subscribe! Thanks for reading!

  • Products I Love

    Multi-Use Kopari Organic Coconut Melt

    Today, I am going to talk about my favorite brand again, Kopari! I really love their products and I want to share them with everyone! Today, I am specifically talking about their organic coconut melt. I’ve been in love with it ever since I tried it for the first time and it is extremely versatile. 

    Some of the different uses:

    • Skin Moisturizer
    • Dry Shave Oil
    • Makeup Remover
    • Under Eye
    • Belly Balm (Helps To Prevent Stretch Marks While Pregnant)
    • Hair Mask
    • Massage Oil
    • The Possibilities Are Endless

    My favorite uses are: skin moisturizer and makeup remover. I love to use this right after I get out of the shower and I feel as though it keeps my skin moisturized all day. It’s much better than lotion in my opinion. I also get bad migraines from the smell of lotions about 99% of the time. This product has never given me a migraine! I also love to use it for makeup remover because if you get it in your eye, it doesn’t burn like every other makeup remover. It is so soft and my makeup comes right off. I usually shave in the shower as well but next time I am in a hurry and need to shave, I am definitely going to try this out. I honestly can’t wait to use it on my belly when I decide I am ready to have kids. 

    Okay, we are to my favorite part about Kopari’s products. What is in it?? This product is 100% Organic Coconut Oil. That’s it. I love their products because they are all natural. They always live up to their Kopari standards: 100% Organic, Vegan, Cruelty-free, and GMO-free.

    Where can you get it?

    I hope you loved today’s post. Let me know what you think in the comments below!!

  • Workouts

    LLS Resilience Challenge

    Hi Everybody! Today I am sharing a fun challenge that you could join me in doing. It is the LLS Team in Training Resilience Challenge! 

    What is the challenge? It is a 30-day movement & fundraising challenge dedicated to supporting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) mission to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.During the month of September, Blood Cancer Awareness Month, we challenge each participant to complete 50 miles in whichever way they prefer (running, walking, cycling, etc.) and aim to raise $500 towards our mission. Registration is free, and there is no fundraising commitment but we know the most resilient participants will crush the fundraising challenge. You can even earn prizes depending on how much money you raise. I have personally committed to running the full 50 miles and I’m already 5 miles in as of this morning.

    So why am I doing this challenge? I actually have multiple reasons. First, I have been trying to get more cardio in each week and this can help to motivate me even on the hard days. Second, I volunteer for LLS and have been for over six years. They have been struggling to get donations during this time due to COVID. I want to help to remind people (if they are not struggling as well). Third, I have two family members and multiple friends that have had blood cancers. LLS has a mission to find a cure! I would love to raise $500 for them!

    If you want to join the challenge, here is the link:

    https://www.teamintraining.org/resilience-challenge

    If you are interested in donating to LLS, here is the link:

    https://fundraisers.hakuapp.com/hayley-sweeney

    Thank you for checking out my blog today! Please subscribe below if you love my content.

  • Healthy Meals

    Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets

    Hey Everyone!

    Today’s post is a recipe for air fryer chicken nuggets. We just got an air fryer and I have been so obsessed finding new recipes to try out. Shane and I eat a lot of chicken so I am trying to get more creative in ways that we can eat it. This recipe is also very good for meal prepping!

    Ingredients:

    2 Chicken Breasts (Cut into small cubes)

    1 Tbsp Olive Oil

    1 tsp Lemon Pepper

    1 tsp Oregeno

    1 tsp Salt 

    Recipe:

    1. Preheat your air fryer to 400℉.
    2. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
    3. Place in a single layer in the air fryer after it has preheated.
    4. Cook for 8 minutes.
    5. Remove and serve warm!

    I hope you guys like this recipe as much as I do. We have been eating these a ton lately. They are pretty versatile. I like to serve them with homemade air fryer french fries, zucchini fries, steamed broccoli, steamed asparagus and baked potato. Please let me know in the comments below, if you do. If you are interested in more healthy recipes please subscribe below.

  • Self Care

    Healthy Venting for Self-Care

    Hi Everyone!

    Today I am talking about a kind of controversial topic and that is venting. I understand why this topic is controversial and that is because a lot of people don’t know the difference between healthy and unhealthy venting. 

    So let’s go over that: 

    Healthy: Short and to the point (usually lasts about 5 minutes), owns up to mistakes, doesn’t repeat the same things over and over, looks for solutions, doesn’t blame others, wants constructive feedback. 

    Unhealthy: Long and repeating (can last up to an hour or even more), multiple topics at once, repeats over and over, doesn’t look for a solution, overwhelming, plays the victim, defensive.

    Healthy venting can be very good and helpful for getting things off your chest. I don’t know about you but when I keep things bottled up over a long period of time, things never end well. I prefer to practice this regularly to prevent that from happening. 

    I actually like to do this with my husband when we get home from work, if we have had a frustrating day. Instead of letting the thing bothering us waste our whole night, we just talk for about five minutes about that thing and move on. By doing this frequently, we can focus on the topic on hand and quickly work through it. We may even be able to help each other find a solution for when those things happen in the future. 

    A healthy venting session can easily tip into the unhealthy side, so make sure you know the difference. If you do end up tipping, you can always correct yourself and try better next time. It’s the only way we can learn to do better. 

    I hope you loved today’s topic. Please let me know what you think or what you would like to learn more about next in the comments below. Subscribe, if you would like to see my weekly content.