Your Style Compass Fashion Consult Service (Review/Discount)

Like many people, I am finding myself embracing the sort of clothing shopping services that bring goodies to me, rather than spending hours shopping and hoping to find something that that will call out to me from its hanger loudly enough to be worth the hassle of dealing with a changing room.

I am disabled - and my energy budget on a good day is enough to either shop or to change clothes several times. Very rarely is it both.  Additionally, I am a plus sized woman (I am right between a US Size 18 and 20), and sadly, in your average clothing store that means your size is hidden away in some dark section of shame with very few options and even if I did show up in a mood to buy, all the joy goes out of it before I leave.

For all these reasons, I get really happy at the idea of having professional help to pick out items that will suit me and then send it to my home where I can try them on in comfort!

There are several such services that handle this by sending a box of possibilities, give you a short period of time to try them on, and then send back what you don't want and pay for what you keep.

I like that set up - but I was recently given the opportunity to review Your Style Compass, which does something different that really impressed me!

Look #1

On first glance, what sets Your Style Compass apart is that it is specifically designed for curvy women who are size 10 and up.  Up meaning as high a size as you need, no less!

And because curvy women are curvy in all sorts of different ways, they pay close attention to your measurements and your own unique shape when selecting recommendations - so you're not just getting clothing that is big enough to fit, but specifically meant for to make women look fabulous and feel great.

Secondly, they don't send the clothing first - you are paying a monthly styling fee and get a carefully curated collection of 1 to five 'looks' - full coordinated outfit collections that are chosen following guidance you leave in a very thorough questionnaire.  The plans cost $15 monthly for one full look, $40 for three full looks, and $65 for five full looks, and this cost is not reduced from the price of any items you purchase. (But that's ok, because there are other benefits that make this worth the price, as I'll explain.)

For purposes of review, I signed up for the mid-level plan where I would receive three Looks based on the questionnaire and personal consultation with a stylist in email.

When I signed up, I felt like the questionnaire asked me  the right questions to give them a good idea of what sort of styles I liked best, and also room to explain special concerns I have regarding clothing.

It gave instructions for taking measurements and including those in the questionnaire - and if you don't have a tape measure handy, you can save your unfinished questionnaire to go take care of that.

It also asked about what sort of occasions you're likely to be looking at clothing for (a good work wardrobe, casual, special events, etc), brands and styles you already know you love, and any parts of the body you prefer to emphasize or minimize.

Look #2

I only had one hang up on the form (and it was, I think, a matter of programming) - in one section, I was shown several pattern types (animal print, polka dots, etc) - and asked to pick any I dislike. Well... I liked them all, but there was no option to select 'none', so I had to say I wanted to avoid one of them pretty much at random before it let me move on.

SPOILERS: That right there was the one and only complaint I had about my entire experience with Your Style Compass. Wow, right?!

To complete the questionnaire, you put in your basic account and billing information along with the email address you want to use to communicate with your stylist.

My stylist was Jessica and she's my second favorite thing about Your Style Compass (second only to the Looks she created for me).

Look #3

She contacted me within a couple of days, as promised, via email and asked a few more clarifying questions and got to know a bit more about me.  This didn't feel at all like a 'stylist in name only', nor did it feel like a pushy sales experience where I was being urged to head in whatever direction they wanted to go.

The experience was comfortable, friendly, and centered on me and once we were done, she told me I'd hear from her again in a week  with my Looks.

Your Style Compass works with a variety of online clothing venues to put together Looks from a number of sources.  When making a purchase, the customer pays directly to Your Style Compass so you're not having to hunt several online stores and paying several shipping and handling charges.

I was really excited to see what would come my way - would she 'get' me at all, or would this be a situation where it might take several false starts before we were communicating enough to get it right?

A week later, my Looks showed up in the mail, and I had my answer  - this process really worked for me!  It's important to note that this would be the least specific Look you'd get, because they really are still trying to get a range of what you might like.  So over time, it will only get better.

Boyfriend Jeans from YSC Look #1 and an old t-shirt from my closet

Jessica focused on warm weather clothing and weekend wear ranging from casual to dressy and the email sent me to my Look portfolio, where I was able to look in detail at each individual item, its estimated cost, and what brand it was.

Each item can be added to your cart individually - no need to buy the entire Look or keep to only one, and the prices were really reasonable, including very low costs for some of the jewelry options.

It was really hard for me to select which items I wanted to get because there were so many good pieces in these three collections!

That's the sort of thing that would normally stress me out - the need to decide NOW before I'd had a chance to mull it over, and and possibly wind up buying things I'd regret because I knew they'd be out of reach forever if I didn't.

That's when I discovered my new favorite thing in the world!  Your Style Compass' buying process is like nothing I've ever experienced before.

Pinapple Print Shirt Dress from YSC Look #2

First of all - when you check out, you don't pay right then.  They actually go scope out current sales and discounts to get you the best possible price. (whuuutt? Who does that? Your Style Compass does!)

Secondly - your Looks stay accessible, so if you're not sure about a particular item, you can go back and purchase it later if it's still available (and for the most part, they will be for at least  the next month).  Even if something is out of stock, it may be back in when you check back later - and you can sign up to be notified in email when it returns.  So the value of that month's consult is retained well after they've done their initial part.

Finally - returns or exchanges are allowed for 30 days, so you have plenty of time to come to a final decision on whether a purchase is right for you.  They make a point of working with brands and vendors that allow for this.

I narrowed my choices to two items (and took note of several more I might purchase later), and waited for them to check for bargains.  The estimated cost was $134.25 for the two pieces, and after finalizing it, the email let me know the adjusted price was$106.73, and my outfits were on the way.

Both of them were winners!

I selected the Boyfriend Jeans from the 1st collection - I've been hunting for jeans that are comfortable since I don't even remember when.  I dislike the intensely shredded trend that's going on, although I'm fine with a little bit of distressing, and these hit that balance nicely.

I do have a little issue with that two button closure, but when neither me or my husband could successfully get it buttoned, I realized the button hole itself is just a tiny bit too small, so I just need to do a little careful surgery on it.

Otherwise, these are soft, hit the right place on my waistline for both sitting and standing comfort, and are simple a great, durable addition to my wardrobe.

The other item I chose was the Pineapple Shirtwaist Dress from Jessica's Look #2.  I am so in love with this dress!!

It hits just below knee length on me, is lightweight and has a wonderful twirly skirt, an elastic waistband with an unattached belt.  It's just wonderful in every way - and with boots and a light sweater (like the one included in Look #2), it will carry me through early fall and next spring just perfectly.

It's fine to put your monthly consult on hold, or select a longer span of time between consults.  As with every other aspect of this service, it is completely focused on flexibility and taking care to match the customer's needs.

All told, I'll recommend Your Style Compass highly to anyone who wears a size 10 or higher - this was a thoroughly enjoyable experience start to finish, and I look forward to future consults!

From now until the end of the year, our readers can receive $10 off the first month of any plan they select using the code RCH2017 at checkout - that means you can try them them out for as low as $5 for a personalized styling fee!

Do give them a try - you won't regret it!

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Review/Giveaway: Tailor Brands Logo Designs

I think one of the hardest parts about owning a business is branding, and to go even deeper, branding done right.  I have a small photography business, and was thrilled to have an opportunity to get assistance creating a striking logo and other branding materials from Tailor Brands.

It takes a bit of time to work through their set up, but you are able to customize your Logo to work with almost every aspect of your Business!

Every single thing they offered in my Tailor Brands Professional Bundle Package was very accessible and easy to use for my website, Facebook page, and all social media in general.

The program is also Mobile-friendly, which is such a great accessory, so I can still build my business on the go.

Taylor Brands starts by having you answer a type of Questionaire / Survery about your business, and which marketing tools will help you thrive.

It asks you about your personal preferences for fonts, designs, logo pictures, and titles, in order to create a brand design that you might like.

I was pleasantly surprised by how many stock photos they had to offer, to help make your Logo/Branding clean and professional.

For example, I am a photographer and they actually have a template category just for that, so I chose A camera-logo that I felt best represented my own Camera.

Another key point to highlight, is that I absolutely love how they give you so many options for your logo. They Inverse black and white, so you have different shading and color options for the style of your Branding. (Seen Below)

The page automates the design set up, making it easy to get started, but they don't leave you on your own. 

Once you answer the questionnaire through Tailor Brands, they send you these adorable Emails saying "your file is ready to download." I can open to files on my phone as well as my desktop, which enables me to use them so much more. I am always on the go, so have such a mobile-friendly service for my business, is very nice.

Tailor Brands has on-hands staff that can help you at any time through your branding process with their tools and online support. 

I decided I didn't like the way I made one of my logo layouts, so I asked for help through the site and received an email the very same day fixing my personal error.

The personal, hands-on help I received from Lindsey with Tailor Brands exceeded my expectations. She was professional, responsive and helpful from start to finish and this spoke volumes for me in terms of customer service. 

Tailor Brands created a custom Cover Photo for my Photography Facebook Page, with my professional photographs incorporated. You have the choice to use stock photos that Tailor Brands Provides, or you can upload your own pictures, as I did. 

I found it very helpful that Tailor brands emailed me just about every computer format of my logos and branding. They give you SO much to work with, and every template they send you comes with very detailed and helpful instructions to guide you through the process. 

I really love how you have the choice to design vastly different logos, but still stick with consistent branding guidelines. 

They have several options, in terms of pricing and packages. If you aren't ready to get the full bundle, they even offer select services available for monthly billing as well.

I received the Premium Package Bundle for review, a $128 value, currently on sale for $99) which included the following:

Bundles are available for as low as $39.00, and many items are available for individual purchase as well!

Another Feature of Tailor Brands that I love is everything you customize and work on through their site is saved online, and you can pick up where you left off at any time. You have endless online tools through the website, at your disposal to take your business to a whole other level.

I am very proud of my new customized branding through Tailor Brands and look forward to working with their business more in the future. 

I feel as though this is a valuable branding tool, that helped in the professionalism and consistency within my different Photography websites and social media pages.  Just as soon as I have time in my own busy schedule to work on a renovation of my online sites, I will be happily incorporatiing my new brand!

If you've been looking to revamp your online brand, now's the time - Tailor Brands is kindly offering a Giveaway to one of our Awesome Readers.

All files are digital so this one is open world-wide!

The value of the giveaway is originally $128, (although it is on sale for $99) and the winner receives a logo, an EPS file, business card and letterhead design files, branded presentation, a brand book, social media cover photos, and 21 logo sizes, to give you everything you need!  Read on to see how you can enter to win!

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To enter the giveaway, you must leave a comment in this entry as instructed by the Giveaway Tools Entry Form below. This will open up additional optional entries to increase your odds of winning.

This giveaway is open WORLD-WIDE and will end just before midnight ET on 6/12. 

The winners will be notified by email within 24 hours after the end of the giveaway. In order to claim the giveaway prize, the winner will need to respond within 24 hours of notification, or an alternate winner will be selected.

Once the winners have responded and confirmed, their first names will be posted on our Giveaways  page.


Good luck!

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Review: Framebridge Custom Framing

This review is going to be a good one for all of you art fanatics and home decor junkies! I am one of those people with a million pictures on my walls in a bunch of the same old matching frames you can get from Target or Walmart.... I love eccentric frames but generally speaking, when you find them in the store, you know at least one person who has the same frame... Framebridge will most definitely change that for you.

Framebridge is an online custom framing service. You can set up your order via computer or with a downloadable iPhone app.

You choose the frame type that you want (they even have a cheat sheet, if you are looking for a specific thing to be framed.. ie: diploma, picture, etc). Pricing and Sizing are based on Length and Width of your "Art" and not the frame. It is as follows:

Instagram $39 (printed at 5" x 5")
Extra Small $59 (up to 5" x 7")
Small $79 (up to 9" x 12")
Medium $99 (up to 16" x 20")
Large $139 (up to 24" x 36")
Extra large $159 (up to 32" x 40")

You then submit your "Art" online or opt for them to send you a mailer to fit your art and submit it that way. 

Once your art is received, they email you with any questions or concerns and then your art arrives shortly after! 

Seems pretty cut and dry right? Well... I had a few hiccups that I want to discuss.. So I chose the frame I liked from their website and started the process of moving forward. I made a mistake - I chose to send in my artwork, which I later realized I should have submitted it to them online (due to me not having the actual art, just a picture online), this was quickly changed through an email to a great customer service agent for Framebridge. The site itself was a little confusing but if you take your time, read all the fine prints, you will navigate through it, and I very much appreciated the friendly help I received when I got confused.

One thing that I did not care for was the fact that only some of the frames offer different coloring for the Mat Selection! I did not know it was even an option until after I ordered and went back onto the website to look around, that I was able to choose a different color mat if wanted. Bummer! My husband even mentioned that our photos would have looked much better with a black mat compared to the white mat we got.  

I opted for a Large and Small Frame when I was making my choice. I went with the HATTERAS frame which is so rustic and just gorgeous! This style totally fit my household and I had the perfect pictures for it. I chose to put some pictures from my honeymoon into the frames and Ahh sooo perfect! 

I received my frames in a nice neat packaging that included some extra equipment for hanging options. I LOVED how my pictures looked in these frames, let me tell you! I fell in love! I went to hang them right away and was devastated when I noticed that there was rippling in one of the pictures. I immediately got on my email and let them know what I noticed. They asked for pictures to see what had happened. I got a very quick response, an apology and a tracking number with a new frame being shipped out just a few days later! I can say that this is one of the best qualities in a company, customer service, attentiveness and understanding! This company was great to communicate with and work with. 

While I myself would not pay the prices for these frames (I am SO frugal, it is almost embarrassing), I think this would be a great addition to anyone's home who appreciates art and nice frames. There are so many choices to choose from and they customize to your size. 

They offer styles such as Classic, Clean, Eclectic, Canvas and Other. With choices of colors, sizing and visual differences, you  definitely have some options while on their site. You can do Float mounting (which is beautiful for old style pictures to show its true character) for an extra cost than the regular mat style. 

They use Acrylic instead of glass in their frames as well. This helps to prevent the glare that glass does and it is safer for the shipping process. 

Do yourself a favor and check them out! I will highly recommend this company to my friends and family!!

If you use the code RCH10 at check out, you'll get 10% off your first order!

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Review: The Resume Design Book by Matthew T. Cross

You're never too young to learn how to write a great resume!

Whether you just graduated college, have been out of the work force for a while, or are looking for a new job, it all comes down to your resume, right?

I’m a stay home mom going on 2+ years, as well as a small business owner going on 4+ years. Sometimes I come across job opportunities and wonder if I should apply.

The thought of writing a resume and cover photo often change my mind about whether or not I want to apply. Putting into words exactly what I want to say doesn’t always happen. I regularly have the thought that if they just gave me the job they would see how awesome an employee I am. Unfortunately employers cannot close their eyes and simply imagine what I can do for them.

When I read about The Resume Design Book by Matthew Cross, I decided it would be a good opportunity for me to create a new resume. The Resume Design Book is a  non-fiction graphically rich manual using design-thinking to write resumes, and is specifically targeted at those still in college.

The book arrived on a Friday and I had read it cover to cover by Saturday afternoon. It is a short (126 pages) and easy read, with plenty of helpful information. Some of the information was not applicable to me because I was not a recent college graduate, but I was easily able to adjust it to work for my particular life circumstances.

Once I finished reading The Resume Design Book, I pulled up my own resume.

The first changes I noticed that needed to be made were the font, the word count, which was was too high and the creation of a summary to target the most critical information.

I started cutting things out, re-arranging and deciding what really defined my skills.

After I had my new draft ready I sent it to Matt for his feedback. His advice was very helpful:

“I looked over your sample resume and have some constructive feedback:

1. Prioritize sections to what's important to your clients. I'd put Education after Certifications and Experience.
2. I love Army National Guard on there, but it doesn't quite fit with your other work experience. I'd rename "volunteer work" to "Leadership Experience" and place it within that grouping.
3. Try to condense the information in "owner & fitness pro" and "corporate wellness fitness specialist"
4. This will open up more room to expand upon "owner and health coach." Try a few bullets that answer "what do I do that my potential customers find most valuable?"
5. Center align your heading
It's certainly a multiple iteration process but that is how I would approach your resume for another review cycle; manageable priorities. As I say in the book, interpret that criticism for your liking, I hope to open some new ideas and direction through it. Make the changes you feel confident rationalizing.”

I took Matt’s constructive feedback and made more changes. I focused my resume towards prospective clients for my small business. I feel I learned a lot from this experience and my current resume fully resembles my strengths.

You can currently get a 32 page free .pdf sample of the book through The Resume Design Book Website and while you're there, watch 4 helpful video tutorials.  Also, to celebrate the new release of the 2nd Edition, Matthew is giving away 10 copies!  Check out the News & Blog section of his website for details on how to enter.

The Resume Design Book (2nd Edition) is available in paperback on Amazon for $11.66

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My Life Balanced: Progress Report

I've been working with Vanessa Hartman's My Life Balanced: 120 Days workbook for the last 3 weeks, and want share a few things I've learned so far.

My first lesson is that there is a very good reason this challenge is meant to last at the very least 120 days - it's all about habit changing and it is very, very difficult to undo old habits and to integrate new ones all at the same time.  I have only barely scraped the surface at this point, and the simple act of spending a few minutes first thing in the morning 'setting my intentions' (as Vanessa calls looking over each day's materials) has been dredging up all sorts of resistance, but I've also realized that intending to do it later in the day instead results in never getting around to it at all.

So, yes - for this to work for me, I need to make this book the first thing I pick up after my cup of coffee, and then settle down to the two of them and get my head focused on how I will explore and incorporate the day's guideance.

My second lesson is that taking time to be still and meditate comes a lot easier when there's a little focus for it - I really, really love the one word "Mind" words that can be used as a journal prompt or meditation word.   They provide me with simple contemplative time early in the day before anyone else has woken up.  I like to spend 15-20 minutes sitting outside on my porch as the sun rises, watching the birds having breakfast, and considering how the daily theme might be meaningful for the day as I go about my routine.

As I mentioned in my Introduction to this process, I've tried using them as a theme for my daily Tarot readings (an old habit I plan to keep), and they work brilliantly that way. (this is in no way necessary, but I find it helpful to meld these new habits into areas of my life where I already feel I am on a useful track - it helps them stick!) For this, I enjoy doing a simple 3 card Mind-Body-Emotions spread, asking how each area relates to the daily meditation word.

As an example, today's theme word is Rest, and these are the cards I drew:

I asked the following and contemplated each answer:

How does my body speak to me about the need for Rest?

The 10 of Wands here is speaking to me about exhaustion or burnout - once the body has given all it can, it's done, and needs rest, whether I'm inclined to do so or not. Better management would be to pay attention before I'm on my last legs, and offer myself rest before I've reached that stopping point so that I can maintain energy reserves more consistently.

How does my mind speak to me about the need for Rest?

 The Page of Coins is the student in the area of the physical - my mental resources are curiosity and learning more about both the benefits of rest and how to go about maximizing the quality of my resting times.  (The Page of Coins in me is *loving* the My Life Balanced challenge, because it's all about this sort of learning)

How do my emotions speak to me about the need for Rest?

The 2 of Coins is all about lighthearted BALANCE, especially physical and material balance.  My emotions stay balanced when the rest of my life is in balance, and goes off kilter when there is too much or too little of the things I need.  When my mood is going wonky, it's time to look at how well I'm taking care of myself, and to bring in some playfulness.  And here, it may well be that I'm shorting my need for rest and recreation, whether it's a nap or a serene and fun environment.

As you can see, this method of using the meditation keys is really being helpful to giving myself some structure and food for thought.  But the remaining sections of each day's page also provide both motivational and practical tips for putting all this into practice.

On some days, for example, there will be concrete suggestions in the areas of self-image, nutrition or movement, such as "Write a list of ten things you love about yourself NOT related to appearance" or dancing to a favorite song or replacing sugary drinks with fruit and herb infused water. (All tasks I did and enjoyed very much.

On other days, the sections will be more informational, sharing the benefits of a particular food or form of movement, or motivational words reminding me that all of this begins first with an attitude of self-care and balance.  I am finding myself struggling a bit how to do more with these than read them and try to invent some sort of actual action to take or exercise to do to more firmly plant the seeds of change.  I've added a couple items to my grocery list and begun to experiment with forms of movement that I can safely do that are fun for me.

That would be my big lesson two: If it isn't fun, I am the QUEEN of procrastination.  And it's not like this is a lesson I didn't already know - I've just been confronted with it a lot.  Fortunately for me, this truth is also a key foundation of Vanessa's philosophy.  This sort of change isn't supposed to be about punishing you for not doing things optimally in the past.  It's all about liking yourself enough to add things to your life that make you feel great.

Image by Gratisopraphy

All in all, so far I am finding this all very helpful even if I am still learning how best to use it.  In terms of preferences, I'd love to have a copy of this that was smaller and more portable, even perhaps in electronic form or as a series of daily cards that could be put somewhere visible throughout the day.  I've found myself often going through my day and wanting to peek in again as a refresher to stay focused, and the larger format isn't readily tucked into a bag while on the go.  But that is a small matter and in no way diminishes the helpfulness of the wisdom within.

My intentions for the next three weeks are to use these materials to:

1. Assess what foods are helpful and which are harmful, by logging what I eat and how I feel after.
2. Work on increasing movement by taking walks, using music as I go through my day to encourage movement, and to note the opportunities for increased movement as I follow my normal daily routine.
3. Explore what undercuts my ability to sleep well (insomnia is becoming problematic), and determine what changes can be made to increase my ability to get adequate sleep.

I think that's enough for me, and I know that every day will bring me inspiration, both for these goals and new ideas for other areas to rethink.  I'm excited to continue - it really is true. The Goal IS the Journey.

My Life Balanced
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My Life Balanced - Introduction to a New Journey

I'm excited to announce that I am beginning a new project as I work through Vanessa Hartman's My Life Balanced 120 Days Lifestyle Change Manual.

Vanessa is a lifestyle coach that focuses on health and goal coaching via phone, video conferencing and email - you may already have begun to get to know her, because after she agreed to let me work through the 120 Days Lifestyle Change Manual for review, she then agreed to join us here at Reviews, Chews & How-Tos as one of our contributors!  She's already shared a few very helpful posts on the subject, with more to come.

The manual provides a way for someone like me to work through lifestyle changes on a daily level in a few different ways - each page includes four sections:

Mind - a word, to be used as a meditational focus or journal writing subject.

Meal - a tip or suggested activity or change having to do with nutrition. 

Move - a suggested activity that gets your body moving.

Mantra - used here in a difference way than I'm used to (mantra as a focus sound for meditation), here it acts as an affirmation of sorts - something that is motivational toward, mostly, attitude adjustments.

Glancing through the book, there are a lot of great tips and suggestions each day, and some that are, admittedly, not going to happen - either because they aim toward a lifestyle change I'm not interested in (I am not a vegetarian and have no desire to be) or that I cannot manage (some specific movement activities involve things I cannot safely do, because of physical disabilities, so those will need to be modified).  But even after I take those conditions into account, it looks like there is plenty I can do or consider with modifications every day.

The biggest advantage I see at this point, before actually starting this journey, is the high emphasis on subtle shifts in mindset along the way - so that what seems very challenging now, may well, after small incremental habit alterations, be doable by the end of the four months I'll be actively working through it.

In the letter sent with the manual, Vanessa says,

"This program has been designed to be what you need it to be.  We can each read it and pick something different that resonates with us.  I encourage you to read it first thing in the morning and set your intention for the day.  If you miss a day, no problem - get back at it.  It's also not about how fast you reach the end, it's about what you learn along the way.  I encourage you to give this a true chance, this program is designed to be life changing and long lasting."

At the beginning of the manual, Vanessa includes a few simple breathing exercises - you can find a few more on her post How to Feel More Calm With Breathing Exercises.

Today's post is just an introduction to the 120 Days process, and I find it helpful before beginning a long endeavor to assess my starting point, my personal intentions, and suspected challenge - not to start with excuses, but to get a realistic feel for what pitfalls I should be prepared for.

Mind - I have been an on and off again personal journaler since I was old enough to hold a pencil, and I'm thrilled to have a platform for daily journaling!  I know from experience that this will be very helpful for me.  It also inserts a challenge, as I already try to journal regularly with a daily Tarot card as inspiration - and I may play with this part a bit by incorporating the two so that I needn't stop a habit I already find beneficial. (I am weird - I like games and puzzles and this sounds like a fun challenge for me.)

Meal - In the area of food, other than the challenge of how to address nutritional suggestions that are at odds with my own nutritional aspirations, I think I am in fairly good shape here - we strive for a primal diet and I have learned the hard way that I pay hard for departures from my intentions to avoid wheat and sugar, so these happen only in light moderation at carefully controlled times. We shop for locally grown organic produce and locally farmed meat and I regard it as a 'win' when a meal involves no canned or boxed items. But I have grown lax lately on making my best possible choices, so this area will be mainly a refresher of what I know mixed in with some new ideas to try - I think the challenges here will also be fun and lead to a renewed motivation to eat in a way that is both nutritionally compatible with my needs and pleasurable.

Move - now this one is not only hard and likely the area that makes me whine a lot, but I also think it's where I'm going to find the hugest help.  I have been dealing with rheumatoid arthritis since a few years before I was officially diagnosed at age 19... 35 years ago!  I have developed strong deformities in my hands, and lost a hip due to bone thinning (a common side effect of many of the medications that allow me to be functional), and due to that there are certain things that are too high risk for dislocating or falling down (which would cause a dislocation) for me to even try. But there are a whole lot of things I can do, and just don't.  I can't say I'm looking forward to this part - Yet. But  I know if I take up the challenge and am open to pushing past intimidation (safely) and basic out-of-shape resistance, it will come easier over time and result in huge health improvements.  Just at an opening glance, I find that labeling it 'movement' rather than 'exercise' helps reduce the instant urge to say "I can't!"

Mantra - these will be helpful, especially in pushing through the movement resistance.  Many have to do with body issues, and I'm happy to say that I've reached an age where I'm mostly over body-hatred (nothing like chronic pain to make you put worries about whether your nose is shaped funny or if your tummy feels more like a pillow than a six pack), but I am still pretty prone to negative self talk about my body not working the way I want it to - so it will be good to work on getting that Inner Critic out of my head where it sabotages any effort to improve what I can, and accept with grace what I can't.

With that all in mind, here's my plan:

I will post here every 3 weeks on my progress and share any victories, insights and difficulties I experienced in that time frame.  I may share a snippet or two of the journaling work, as well as what worked for me and what didn't.  I'm choosing every 3 weeks based on the old chestnut that it takes 3 weeks to change a habit, so that, if needed, I can focus on specific areas for a bit before moving onto another.

I also plan to put into practice a process  that I've learned from getting on RA treatment plans - sometimes, it's best to build up gradually over time rather than attempting many new things all at once.  So, while each day I will deal with as many of the four areas as I am up for, I will only hold myself to one a day for this first 3 weeks, then 2 a day for the next, and so on - with reasonable exemptions for days when an item isn't one of the things that fit my personal goals or ability, as well as days when I'm already packed full of to-dos.

I can do this!

I know me well enough to know I LOVE starting things, pile on a whole lot of intentions and then get overwhelmed and quit the whole thing.  I really want and need to make it to the end of this journey, so I am going to take it slow enough to make the new routine stick.

My long term goals are to fine tune my nutritional habits, establish some workable exercise habits, and to become more mindful about my self-talk, good and bad.  I think this will handily accomplish those things if I stick with it.

I also know that this first three weeks is going to see me pouting, moaning, dramatically proclaiming that I can't do this... and that by the time I report back in three weeks, I'll be mostly over it.  It's what I do - the important part is to just acknowledge that and not let it be a reason to stop.

So, I won't actually be reviewing the 120 Days Lifestyle Change until the end, because for this sort of thing, struggle in the moment is NOT a negative thing - it's just a part of the process. Furthermore, I acknowledge now that I am aware that there will be times when I strongly think "this isn't working for me!" but that I will likely discover by the end it totally did what it was supposed to.

It doesn't hurt at all that I have Vanessa to help as needed to keep me on track in spite of my less than graceful attitude to new changes, which, when you think about it, is what a Lifecoach does!

Overall, intimidation aside, I am very much looking forward to this and I hope you'll enjoy the updates on what happens!

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Anti-Procrastination Tuesday

My Life Balanced
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Review: Ready.Set.Tan.

This review is especially for our Ft. Irwin, CA readers!

Ready. Set. Tan? I’ll have to admit I was a bit nervous when I booked my spray tan with Megan. I’ve spray tanned before, but it’s always been with an automated machine. One of those “one size fits all” applications that’s not fully customizable and I didn’t have the best results. I will go ahead and say that this was a completely different experience!

Megan Baker is the owner of Ready. Set. Tan. located here on Fort Irwin, Ca. She’s been doing spray tans for 3.5 years. Megan is a certified airbrush technician by the National Spray Tanning Professional Association specializing in Sjolie Tanning products and the National Tanning Training Institute. All of her products are 100% organic, paraben free and never tested on animals. She’s been offering her services here since June 2014 and has quickly gained a loyal following.

Megan was very easy to work with from the moment I contacted her and we quickly set a date for my spray tan. She even let me know that she was “kid friendly” and I was welcome to bring my daughter if I needed to. Prior to my appointment, I was emailed a few documents. Pre-tan instructions, liability waiver, and client consultation card. I was asked to fill them all out and bring them with me.

The Pre-tan instructions went over what I should do before my appointment. It addressed the time frames that I should wax, shave, and shower to have optimal results.

In addition, Megan provided me with an 8oz bottle of Sjolie body scrub to use to exfoliate 1-2 days before my tan. It had an amazing spa like smell and I felt it left my skin very smooth. It retails for $13.

Megan works out of her home and has a lovely dedicated room for privacy during your tan. When I arrived, I gave her the liability waiver and the client consultation card. Megan looked over the consult card and we discussed how dark I wanted my tan. She then explained to me the 2 different tanning options she offers.

The rapid tan is $35 and you are able to shower 3-4 hours after your appointment. 

The other option is the traditional spray tan that you can shower after 8-10 hours. The traditional spray comes in two options: the regular for $25 and the quick dry for $30. 

The time ranges to shower off the solution depend on how dark you want your results. The longer the product stays on your skin the darker you will be. Megan will advise you based on your skin tone how long exactly you should wait until you shower.

I chose the rapid tan and we moved on to what booster I would like to try. Megan offers 2 boosters that are added to the tanning solution for $2 each. An anti-aging booster that reduces the appearance of sun damage and a slimming booster that tones and tightens skin while attacking cellulite. After, just having a baby I went for the slimming booster!

Megan then let me smell the 2 scents she can mix into the tanning solution. For $2, you can chose between pineapple and orange ginger. I chose the pineapple scent and it smelled delicious.

Other additions offered are the opalescent shimmer and the golden shimmer for $2 each. Shimmer can be done after your spray tan such as on the day of a special event.

At this point, it was time to get ready to start. Megan left the room to let me undress to my comfort level. I wore a swimsuit to be able to have areas to show comparisons of where I was tanned and not. You can tan completely nude if you would like, except men must wear at least a thong.

When Megan came back, she provided me with barrier cream to put on areas that tend to absorb more of the tanning solution such as hands, elbows, and nails. I then put “sticky feet” on which are exactly that: sticky pads for the bottom of your feet to keep from getting solution on them. I put my hair up in a hair net and chap stick on my lips to prevent getting them stained. Megan provides either personalized Ready. Set. Tan chapsticks or lip gloss to her clients. Add in a nose protector to prevent breathing in the solution and it was time to go!

To complete your spray tan, you step on to the platform and Megan gets to work! She shows you the poses she needs you in to get the best results. She was completely professional and I felt completely at ease during the whole process.

Once finished with the spray tan, Megan leaves you alone to dress. She suggests wearing loose dark clothes and flip flops home to prevent rubbing off the tanning solution. Before I left, Megan let me know the optimal time that I should wait to shower to achieve my desired results.

She also provided me with 2 more Sjolie products to assist with maintaining my tan. The body wash is specially designed to work with spray tanning solutions to keep skin hydrated. It has a lovely lavender/vanilla scent! It retails for $13 for an 8oz bottle. 

The other product was tan extend lotion which is a daily tinted moisturizer that can be used by all skin tones to match the tanning solution color. It has caffeine and anti-aging solution that helps to smooth skin and extend your tan by 2-3 days. It retails for $14 for an 8oz bottle.

I waited the allotted time to shower to let my tan develop. When you shower, it will seem like your tan is washing off. However, it is just the tint in the solution that lets the technician see what areas have been covered. After showering, I could already see that I had a nice tan.

The life span of a spray tan will vary by person, but my tan lasted around a week. I used the body wash to help extend the life of my tan because using bar soap will make your tan fade faster. It is suggested to moisturize twice daily to help your tan last longer. I used the tan extend lotion after showering and I feel it may have helped lengthen the time my tan lasted. 

Megan offers tanning parties for a minimum of 3 friends with the host being free. Details can be found on her website with the different options available. What a fun way to get ready for a special day with your friends or just have a girl’s day!

I would highly recommend Ready. Set. Tan. to anyone looking to have a gorgeous tan without the harmful effects of the sun. Spray tanning would be a great option for the upcoming military balls!

Ready. Set. Tan. offers a customer loyalty program. Tan 4 times and your 5th is free!  Also, I suggest “liking” Ready. Set. Tan’s Facebook page as she often has specials listed!

Megan Baker (951) 310-6052
http://www.readysettan.com/
https://www.facebook.com/readysettanairbrush

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