Inspirational and Feel-Good Music

When I'm feeling upset or just not as positive and happy as usual, I immediately pump up the tunes! It's a super easy way to step back and feel better because I'm bobbing my head to some inspirational or just happy music. The past few weeks I've been especially loving this song.

For more feel good music check out this amazing playlist on Spotify! If you're not sure about adding Spotify, I would highly recommend it! It's a lot like Pandora in that you have free music (with some ads sadly) but I like it better than Pandora because you can chose what song you want to listen to. Spotify and users make tons of playlists that you can listen to, or you can make your own playlists, or modify existing ones so the possibilities are endless! Just like Pandora, if you don't like the ads, you can get Spotify Premium -- it's $10/month for no ads, plus you can download it on extra devices like phones and tablets. If you're a student it's only $5/month! Also you can "download" playlists so they are saved on your computer/phone and you don't need an internet connection to listen to them. If you're weirded out by having to use Facebook to log in, you can definitely add it without linking it to your Facebook page (also a good option if you don't have a Facebook!). I didn't mean to write a whole paragraph about Spotify, I just wanted to share this awesome song, but thought I should include some more info on Spotify since I didn't really understand how to use it before downloading and now I use it so much!

Do you have any go-to music for when you're feeling down? I'd love some recommendations in a comment below!

Thanks for reading!

How to Make Friends at Work

Having friends at work has been shown to improve job satisfaction. It may not be revolutionary, but it's definitely true! Whether it's a new job or a job you've had for years, making friends is important for your sanity and so that you enjoy going to work every day. Today I'm sharing 5 easy way to make friends on the job!

1. Don't eat at your desk - It may be tempting to eat at your desk so you can get more work done, but lets be real: we've all been there and you're probably not being that productive while you're trying to balance your sandwich so it doesn't splatter everywhere, while typing an email (anyone else have this issue?!). Instead, eat with your coworkers! If you're super busy it can be as short as a 10-15 minute lunch break but you'll finish lunch feeling refreshed and happier. Eating with someone you don't usually eat with may seem a little daunting, but just ask a coworker when they are eating and ask if you can eat with them. If a group is going out to lunch, go out with them, or ask them to bring the food back so everyone can eat together in the conference room.

2. Ask about their weekend - Again, this may seem like a no-brainer, but asking what someone is doing over the weekend really tells you more about their personal life. Do they have a new grandchild you didn't know about, or are they dating someone new? Asking questions about their weekend will shed some light on what they really enjoy, and it will give you something to follow up about on Monday or later, to show that you really care and are invested in your friendship.

3. Give someone a compliment - Tell someone if you genuinely like their new hairdo, outfit, make-up, manicure, shoes, purse, coffee mug, you name it. Everyone (including me!) loves getting compliments, and it's a sweet gesture that will brighten their day!

4. Random Act of (Sugary) Kindness - Everyone likes sweets. Bring sweets to work to celebrate your team reaching an important goal, for a holiday or birthday, or to celebrate Friday. Baking gets you extra brownie points (see what I did there), but buying donuts or bagels at the store are just as thoughtful and delicious!

5. Say "yes" to outings - Whether it's a quick walk to Starbucks to recharge in the afternoon, or getting manicures or drinks after work, say "yes"! You don't have to buy the fanciest frappuccino, or even drink, but being present will show that you are interested in forming friendships with your coworkers.

Do you have any tips on making friends at work? I'd love to hear them in a comment below! 

Thanks for reading!

Drug Store Beauty Products

I love quality beauty products at drug store prices. I have a few products that I absolutely love, and because you can get them at the drug store, they are extra affordable! I thought I'd share some of my favorites with you.

1. Revlon Color Stay Just Bitten Balm Stain - LOVE THESE. I have at least 5 of these because they work so well. I love having some color on my lip but I hate having to reapply. If I have to reapply a lipstick, you can count me out. Most lip stains I've tried are either super sticky or super drying, or both. This lip stain is amazing. It goes on like chapstick and has a slight minty flavor. I can wear it all day at work or out to dinner and it stays right where it needs to be! My favorite colors are "honey", "cherish", and "romantic".

2. CoverGirl LashBlast Volume Mascara - I swear by this mascara and have been using it for Y-E-A-R-S. No other mascara compares. I am really picky about mascara because I want something that is lengthening AND volumizing. Basically, I want to look like I have false eyelashes on, without the pain of false eyelashes! This stuff really works, I regularly have strangers tell me that my eyelashes are "flawless" (no joke!!). It definitely takes a few coats but it does the trick. I usually use the color "blackest black".

3. CoverGirl Classic Color Blush - If I'm feeling like a minimal-make up kind of day, I usually just put a little bit of this blush on my cheeks and voila I look 2x more lively. This blush is really great for sensitive skin and has a slight shimmer but no glitter, so it's definitely professional.

4. Revlon ColorStay Gel Envy Nail Polish - I've already gone on about how much I love Revlon nail polishes here but they're just a fun thing to buy at the drug store. Definitely not a necessity but painting your nails a fun new color is definitely a pick-me-up (and cheaper than a mani!)!

5. St. Ive's Fresh Skin Apricot - This is a treat yo self kind of product. This stuff smells amazing, even my guy friends secretly like using it! Just lather on, wait a few minutes, and rinse. It feels (and smells!) like you just got a professional facial!

Do you use any of these products? Do you have any drug store beauty recommendations?

Thanks for reading!

The Power of Positivity

After reading the Zen and Art of Happiness, I'm trying to make a conscious effort to be happy. That may sound silly but it's so easy to get upset and frustrated when things go wrong. Instead of looking at events as either "good events" or "bad/unlucky events", I'm trying to look at events as neutral events. Whether or not I am happy or have a good day is based on how I react to these neutral events. Even really seemingly-unlucky events can be positive.

Prime example happened the other day! I was planning to go on a run on an outdoor trail. I mapped the trail and the distance of my run and was super excited about exercising. When I got to the trail, I found out it was completely flooded! And let me tell you by "completely flooded" I mean 2 feet of water (picture above for your personal enjoyment!). Instead of being frustrated or going home angry, I decided to make the best of the situation. The park had an open area leading up to the trailhead that wasn't flooded. I decided to run around the open area for the same amount of time that I had planned to run. I'm sure that I looked ridiculous running around this field, but I was super happy. After warming up, I really enjoyed my run. The fact that the trail was flooded seemed like the outcome was decided for me: I was going home and not working out. BUT! I made the best of the situation and had a really good work out! It's really hard to not sweat the small stuff, but it really will lead to an overall happier life. I challenge you to make an effort to be more consciousness about choosing happiness and letting go of the rest.

Thanks for reading!

Amazon Smile

Have you heard about Amazon Smile? It's a program run by Amazon that donates 0.5% of the price of your purchase on Amazon to the charity of your picking. You have to specifically opt for this program by entering "www.smile.amazon.com" instead of going to the main Amazon page. The rest is the exact same and has all the regular Amazon product. I love seeing companies being more charitable! Remember to go to smile.amazon.com next time you're shopping on Amazon!

Thanks for reading!

Image from www.smile.amazon.com

Easy Dinner: Pesto Chicken with Veggies Recipe

 
I'm all about healthy and delicious dinners, especially ones that don't take a long time to make. I love this pesto chicken recipe and make it frequently. I also just discovered this delicious veggie dish which I will be adding to my regular rotation of meals. The pesto chicken is adapted from Gina's Skinny Recipes and the veggie dish is adapted from Simple Vegan Blog. I love both of them for creating these amazing recipes! I added a warm roll because who doesn't love rolls?! The whole wheat frozen rolls are super great because you pop them in the oven for 8 minutes and they are warm and taste heavenly! You can work on both these recipes at the same time to condense the total prep time!

Chicken
Total time: 20 mins
Prep time: 8 mins
Serving: 6 pieces

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
6 oz of pesto
1 tablespoon of basil
2 large tomatoes
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese (buying the bag of shredded mozzarella makes things a lot easier!)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice each chicken breasts to make 2 thinner pieces of chicken by cutting it across (not down the middle).
3. Spread pesto evenly on each piece of chicken. Drizzle the basil on top of the pesto.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts (I like to cut through a piece of the thickest piece after 20 minutes just to make sure it's fully cooked!)
5. After the chicken is about done cooking, add 2 thick slices of tomato on each piece of chicken and top with mozzarella.
6. Bake for another minute and then serve!

Veggies
Total time: 40 mins
Prep time: 20 mins
Serving: 6

Ingredients:
2 green peppers
1 zucchini
1/2 bag of baby carrots
1 white onion
1 sweet potato
1 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp all-spice
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Boil the sweet potato in a pot of water as you prep the other veggies.
3. Chop the green peppers, zucchini, carrots, and onion. Add to a bowl and mix together the spices and the olive oil.
4. The sweet potato won't be completely cooked but it'll be soft enough to cut through. Chop the sweet potatoe and add to the mix of veggies.
5. Place the veggies in a cooking dish and bake for 20 minutes.

Thanks for reading!