Flower child

Base: OPI nail envy, Essie chinchilly
Flower: china glaze flip flop fantasy, joe white
Leaf: Revlon Jaded

Out of order

Sent by iPhone

I don't know if the Universe is playing a joke on me but I'm not impressed. I have a tennis elbow injury that appeared out of no where. They say it could have been something that progressed in time bcos I
work a lot w my hands and a sharp action could have put it over the edge. Im just glad it's not carpal tunnel!

Regardless, I'm still in pain and it's quite frustrating that I cannot workout, do any yoga or be on my keyboard for long. That's why I'm posting this thru my iPhone - and even still, it's bothering me quite a bit.

Time to build my patience and tolerance. Hardest thing ever!

Inside my gym bag

♡ I've got my Lulu bra top & hot pink pants
♡ leopard printed pouch that i made to carry my toothbrush & paste
♡ lil notebook to plan my workouts / old school iTouch / chapstick / MAC lipsheen & cream blush for after / eau de parfum
♡ my 'vitamins': HEAT, +Omega Glow, +Perfect Skin / brush to make my hair fluffy
♡ i♥Running H20 bottle
♡ Michael Kors wallet / Hello Kitty container meant for candy but turned into my fake eyelashes holder / lock / GymBoss interval timer

Kicking off my work shoes in exchange for something more 'comfortable.'

I've found it a bit difficult to go to the gym lately. Lots of things contribute to this but its definitely no excuse for my inconsistency. Regardless I know it will pass. I think its important not to be hard on yourself when you feel un-motivated. It happens. Kicking yourself in the ass & forcing yourself to go to the gym isnt the solution. It might help temporarily but eventually your motivation will sizzle and back to square one you'll go. You'll be depleting your energy if you attacking the issue this way. Wouldnt you rather use it to actually exercise? The solution comes from changing your state of mind & trying to understand your resistance. Here's what I've been doing to get myself back on the horse.

♡ Doing 5 sets each of Surya A & B right when I wake up. It only takes 10 mins. Makes me feel awake and it gives my energy momentum for the day.

♡ Take things one day at a time, one decision at a time. A muffin or yogurt for breakfast? Park closer or farther from the office?

♡ Look at photos that inspire me. I've culled a few photos from the internet to look thru when Im feeling bleh. I also click thru Pinterest & Tumblr. It won't maintain the fire but it will definitely fuel it.

♡ I tell myself when I feel better I do better. I'm doing myself and everyone else around me a favor by getting some exercise. I feel so much happier and light hearted compared to when Im feeling lethargic & moody.

♡ When you're deciding if you should get some exercise or not, be in the moment. When you're not present, you are living in your head. "Oh - but im tired today. I will go tmrw. I dont see what the point of exercising. I will never get lose those pounds....etc"

♡ I pace myself gradually. Just bcos I was able to do a 90 min spin class before doesnt mean I have to. I dont want to overwhelm myself. So I start off slow and build on it as the days go by. This builds my confidence too.

Valentines contest winner

Sorry I'm a day late posting this. But here we go. Winner of Hana straightening iron is:
Tessa Tham

Winner was chosen by random with random.org
Thx everyone who entered. All the vision boards were a lovely representation of ur life. I hope you enjoyed putting it together :)

Entry:

Cindee's beauty tips inspired by Audrey Hepburn

Being a girl is so much fun. When it comes to beauty we have all kinds of things to keep us busy. And now with YouTube and blogs we can share our tips so easily. I think it great to be a girl or let me re-phrase that - its such an amazing thing to be a woman. Especially in this day and age.

One thing I've been thinking about is how much time us woman put into our outer appearance. Hair care(which I've been neglecting), getting healthy looking skin, makeup to emphasize our features, having fun & being creative with getting our nails done, waxing, exfoliating, tanning, working out at the gym....the list goes on.

When you take care of your appearance it shows that you take care of yourself. It doesn't mean you are being superficial unless you emphasize your efforts ONLY in the physical. So what if you have the most luscious lips, if every word you speak is negative. So what if you have the most beautiful bambi eyes and the longest eye lashes, if you aren't able to see the goodness in life? I was inspired by Audrey Hepburn's classic quote:

credit { Igor + Andre }

"For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed; never throw out anyone.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.

The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode, but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.

It is the caring that she lovingly gives the passion that she shows.

The beauty of a woman grows with the passing years."

credit { Igor + Andre }

I am definitely still working on a lot of these but here is my take:

For lovely eyes
♥ Smile with ur eyes(i call it Sm-eyes). You can tell a genuine smile from a insincere one easily. Smiling from the mouth is only half of it. The other half is in the eyes. Eyes are very powerful in communicating how you feel about someone. Why not make someone feel important and special this way. I think I've mastered this when Im having my photo taken but I have to remind myself to bring it into my daily life. When I do, its been life enhancing.
♥ See the good in you. Notice how you talk to yourself? Is it positive, kind, forgiving? Or is it negative, harsh, critical? Its ok to have things you're not happy with but accept that. Acknowledge that everyone, including yourself has a beautiful light to shine into the world. Sometimes it can get dim but focusing on your strengths is one of the most powerful things u can do for urself.
♥ Look for ppl's good qualities. Everyone has many! You could help someone see something they havent been able to see in themselves & it could make a world of difference to them. We all want to be acknowledged & seen.
♥ See the beauty in your life. There is beauty in all things, if only you choose to see them. It doesn't mean being in denial or ignoring an issue in ur life. It means fully embracing it

For beautiful lips:
♥ Watch what kind of words come out of your mouth. Easier said than done but just pay attention. What kind of energy do you want to put into this world? Words are powerful.
♥ Avoid gossip. I know this can be difficult but ask urself what you gain from it.
♥ Laugh more. It shows that you don't take life too seriously. I honestly don't find a lot of things funny - yes esp when I watch Ben Stiller movies =P lol but I realized that things don't have to be funny to cause laughter. It happens naturally when you're having fun. What can you do to add more fun into your life?
♥ I find ppl who genuinely smile so attractive. What is one of the top qualities ppl find attractive in the opposite sex? It's usually the smile that makes the heart skip a beat. We were having this discussion at dinner Sunday night.

For a nice figure:

♥ Im not gonna tell you to stop eating meat bcos that's not realistic for some ppl. But what I do suggest is to be more aware of where the food you eat comes from. Animals that are unethically killed for their meat release a chemical into their body caused from the fear they feel when they're being brutally butchered. It's a toxin along with all the other chemicals & steroids that you're putting in ur body. Do you want that kind of energy in ur body? I think our consciousness has raised enough to understand that this is not right. Its a responsibility not an obligation to the planet
♥ Drink more water
♥ Get those muscles moving and when you can, walk instead of drive. Reduce those emissions. I need to do this more. I hate Calgary's transit system & cold weather but those are just excuses =P
♥ Be kind to your body. Appreciate what it does for you & develop some compassion for it. Yes Im a shorty & I've worn heels all my life. It's not until very recently that I've slowly minimized my wear of them. I still do but not as often. Why the change of heart? I've realized how magnificent our bodies are...how it functions, heals and protects us. I start to feel bad when I am purposely harming and hurting it. Forgive me fashion for I have sinned lol*
♥ Walk with confidence. Walk knowing who you are and what your values are. When you shine you allow others to do the same.

Lead with your heart

I am currently taking my yoga teacher training & last wknd I put together my first class sequence. Its a lot harder than it seems bcos so many things have to go into ur planning. I love it tho bcos it allows me to be creative in a lot of diff ways. The underlying theme I tied into the 30 min lesson plan was learning to lead with your heart. I was inspired by Valentines day since it was right around the corner.

Photo: Robert Sturman / Pose: Camatkarasana - Wild thing

Valentines is one of my favorite "holidays." Even tho the reasons for why its my favorite holiday have changed thru-out the years, for me its always been a celebration of love. I used to give it a romantic meaning in my teens & that slowly shifted to a sense of gratitude for my family & friends.

Then I started practicing yoga & THAT became my focus for a few years & THAT became my love. The more I practiced, the more my heart opened & naturally, that led me on a path to self love. When you are in that heart space you start to see the world differently. Instead of finding myself falling in love with Prince Charming, I found myself falling in love with life.

When you lead with your heart, you automatically become more in tune with the world around you & that's when you can create beautiful things. So in today's practice let's lead with our hearts. Each pose expresses love in a different way. This short sequence will taking you into Camatkarasana aka Wild Thing.

Instagram luv

So I've jumped on the Instagram band wagon. Took me long enough huh? lol* now Im addicted.

add me lovers!!!
cindee_rella

Sent from iPhone

Valentines day contest

I want to do everything - paint, design, globe-trot, teach yoga, rescue animals, live on a beach, search for unicorns & mermaids, have my own business, dance like no one is watching, blog & inspire other ppl to find their passion and their bliss. Possible? hells yeah! Just have to learn how to take things one step at a time.

On a vision board, this is the life I am painting for myself. What about you, what do you want from this life???

Contest:

Option one:
Create your own vision board & give a short & sweet description of how u envision your life to be. Send it to my email (cindeeng@gmail.com) as well as tweet saying:

@misscindee my sweet life for you to see. I want to win #cindeecontest #giveaway http://bit.ly/xrFdXR

Option two: Send in by email (cindeeng@gmail.com) a photo of your Valentines Day outfit & tell me why "beauty" is important to you & tag me on twitter w ur photo using this:

@misscindee my Valentines outfit. I want to win #cindeecontest #giveaway http://bit.ly/xrFdXR

*pls also enter ur name & email in the comments section*

Deadline: Feb 26 2012
A winner will be randomly chosen Mar 01 2012

And of course.... the prize. The prize is a Professional Hair Straightener from Hana.




Is it the Best Flat Iron? My Review:

Pros: I like how lightweight this straightener is. Its perfect for traveling - you know me! =) It even comes with a nice black pouch for you to stow away in ur luggage or in ur slouchy purse to bring to ur gf's place as u get ready for a girls night out.
If you're the impatient type, like me you'll be happy to hear that it heats up pretty quickly.

Cons: It slides thru ur hair pretty easily. Im not sure if u'd consider that a good or bad thing but for me I kind of like it when it has a bit more grip. It gives off a bit of a smoky smell. It might go away after a few uses but I cant be sure.

Happy Valentines & Good Luck!