Did anyone give up something for lent this year?  Giving up something for 40 days can really change your habits and show you how dependent you were on whatever you gave up.  In the past, I have given up something that takes too much of time like social media, and bad habits like me thinking I need almost two cups of coffee every single morning.

A good thing to try is to add something that you don’t usually do that will benefit you for 40 days.  If you can break some habits in this time, you can definitely gain some good practices.  Something easy like going to bed early, drinking more water than you have been, replacing lots of sugar with healthier snacks, or even eating slowly.  Whatever it is, you can pick up easy habits to add into your routine. 
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Continue to add good things in so that they eventually shadow the bad ones out.  It will take time but, make it a challenge and practice it for 40 days.  After that, you’ll be used to it and you can see the benefits it has in your life.
Happy Easter!

​Last week I touched on the importance of cleaning your face before going to bed and simple ways to cleanse, tone and moisturize. Since the weather is getting warmer, we will spend more time outside in the sun.  

​Another important reminder is what we put on our faces in the daytime.  Sunscreen is not only used for the beach.  It is good to put sunscreen on your face throughout the day.  Ladies, you can put a little bit of sunscreen on your face before putting on makeup and this goes for men too.  You may not think you’re going to be outside long but it doesn’t take too much for the sun to have an effect on your skin when you’re out in it. 
For people of color, we may be reluctant to using it because we don’t burn easily. But skin is skin and you need to make sure it’s moisturized and sun protected.  Using sunblock on your face can cut down on aging and wrinkly skin. 

​There are some products out there that aren’t necessarily sun block but more like a moisturizer or lotion with SPF 50 protection.  These products work very well too and can be bought at the drug store.
Also, even if you think the sun doesn’t affect you physically at the moment, it could be stirring up some long-term damage if you aren’t careful.  Skin cancer is real and using these simple precautions are worth it.  

​Since a new season is approaching, let’s talk about some spring cleaning with our make-up.  Around this time, the weather is a lot warmer, we are outside more and the way our skin is in the winter acts a little bit different in the warmer seasons.
 
Your skin may be a bit oily, so make sure before you go to sleep at night to clean your face thoroughly.  This will cut down on bumps, aging your skin and will maintain a good complexion and  give your pores time to breathe.  Everyone’s skin is different and it’s okay if you have creams and cleansers or a routine for your face but if you don’t have all of that, it’s okay!  A good routine for your skin is cleaning, toning, and moisturizing.  This can consist of a simple cleanser or soap, witch hazel as the toner and a moisturizing lotion from the drug store. 
 
Also, I believe you can train your skin when you put it on a routine.  After work, if there is nothing to do, clean your face or carry makeup wipes to use once you get in the car.  Make-up can be hard on your face when it’s worn for long hours of the day.  When you don’t need it on, make sure it’s off.  It’s extremely important to take care of your skin.  You may not be able to see the results right away but with patience and care, you will be able to see the benefits when you make the right decisions for your skin.  Less wrinkles, clearer complexion, and smoothness.

This morning, in work traffic on a busy road, I had a flat tire. Let’s say, it’s hard not to panic in this situation because you have to worry about getting out of the way and thinking pretty fast. Even though I have AAA roadside assistance and can change a tire, at that moment, I couldn’t think of the first thing to do besides call my aunt.  I can count on her in rain or shine, making decisions and being a great role model and teacher to me. I hope every single one of you have that person to call on when times are great and when times get bad. At certain times, it’s okay not to know what to do or how to handle things. WE ARE HUMAN! For those of us who are always handling things on our own and the person everyone calls for help, it’s good for you to have someone to call for help too.
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Another part of this is to always be prepared and ready for anything. Ladies, you might have a man around to always help when it comes to your car or fixing things but it’s beneficial to take time and learn to fix things around the house, car, etc. for yourself because they won’t always be there when the unexpected happens. Take care of that business!