true confessions
This time of year is always wonderful and yet exhausting at the same time. Having a store means being crazy busy from Black Friday to Christmas Eve. I do my best with my family to overcompensate for the fact that I am rarely home by doing an over the top advent calendar and decorating the house to the nines. My kids and I also watch a dizzying amount of relatively cheesy Hallmark channel movies after I come home from work. This is a channel that I never tune to before December 1st and never tune to after December 25th. The other night we watched a movie about a couple who own a Christmas store and are always so exhausted that they almost can’t wait for Christmas to be over. I got the stares and “ahems” from my kids that said they saw a striking similarity to someone they knew.
I think this exhaustion and accompanying guilt for working so much is what causes me to give myself license for bad behavior. Chocolates? Sure. Another glass of champagne? Of course. Christmas cookies…why not? I deserve it I say. I am so tired. I am working so hard. If I can’t enjoy myself a little what is it all for? After six weeks of making those types of concessions for myself, I am up a staggering eight pounds. I didn’t know it was possible to gain eight pounds in six weeks, but I am here to say that it is surprisingly easy. Additionally, I have not been drinking my water, taking my vitamins, or working out. Essentially, I have regressed. The problem with this type of situation is finding the motivation to get back on track.
So, I am taking a week off work and my husband and I are going to make a little trip by ourselves. I have decided to take my sneakers, work out in the mornings, eat fish, drink water and generally try to reinstate the healthy strides I made this year. I know it will be difficult, but I am hoping the change in scenery will help break the cycle.
I also need to do the same for my beauty routine. When I tank, I tank. I haven’t been using my Clarisonic, I have been forgetting to use my sunscreen, teeth whitening…what’s that? The problem with letting one thing go is that everything else seems to slide right down with it. I liken it to the graffiti policy that Mayor Giuiliani had in New York He would dispatch city workers to clean up graffiti the minute it was put up. He said that if the graffiti was allowed to stand, others would come and pretty soon the area was completely marred by graffiti which then led to other criminal behavior. Once the graffiti artists realized that all their hard work was being removed hours after they had done it, they stopped doing it. This led to a cleaner area which in turn seemed to give the neighborhood more pride in the area and they improved it. The neighborhood involvement seemed to then deter criminal behavior.
I recognize that I need to take care of myself head to toe. If I work on the graffiti, maybe other good things will follow. So I am stopping the chocolates and the cookies and I am starting the water and the fish. I am going to work out in the mornings and try to keep it in check during the day. One step at a time, but I am determined to get back on track. I am packing my bag for my trip right now…my Clarisonic and sunscreen are right on top.
- About the boutique
Located in historic Old Town Alexandria, for more than 17 years Bellacara has been Northern Virginia's preeminent boutique for high end cosmetic, skincare and haircare products. At Bellacara you will find premiere beauty products that have been carefully edited by the store’s owner, Angela Sitilides, who personally tests all the products sold in store. The boutique carries only the best product lines – Kiehl’s, Jouer, Dr. Dennis Gross, Christophe Robin, Moroccan Oil, Bumble & Bumble, Fresh, Molton Brown, Skinceuticals, Smashbox, Stila, Mario Badescu, Clarins, Dermalogica, Kevyn Aucoin, Kai, Child, St. Tropez, Smith and Cult, and many more.
1000 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
703.299.9652
2 Comments
Enjoy your trip! You continue to be an inspiration!
you’ve got this!