3 Stress Relieving Tools + $18 Denim + Natural Deo Restock
The only natural deodorant that works for me is back in stock. My super comfy jeans are on major sale. And I've found some stress management tools that really work.
It’s been almost a month since I sent out my last newsletter. So much for my goal about writing Sprinkles every week! But I’m giving myself some grace. Motherhood is time consuming. Being a single mom makes it that much more so. And I’ve been dealing with some things in the past few months that have been stressful AF.
On the flip side, I’ve also had incredibly wonderful things occupying my time these past few weeks. The two highlights were definitely:
Celebrating my son’s first birthday with a smash cake brunch and pizza & cucumber party (I’m still in disbelief my baby is a toddler!)
Going with my mom and Preston to Disney for his first time (p.s. the wide leg jeans I wore are so comfy and on sale right now for only $18! more on that below).
The silver lining of having an overly full plate? My brain has had zero space to think about next week’s big 4-0. I know age is just a number. I’ve written about that over and over (at 34 and 35 and again at 36). But 40 hits differently. I still need to process it all. So I’ll have to get back to the birthday another time.
For now, lets get into a sprinkling of deodorant, denim and stress relieving techniques:
Natural Deo That Actually Works
I did a whole blog review about this. So if you want to read all my thoughts, click here. But I’m going to keep it short and sweet on Sprinkles: this Saltair serum deodorant is the only natural deodorant I’ve found that works for me (I’ve tried a ton).
It’s been out of stock forever. They just restocked it in my fave scent, Santal Bloom, as well as new scents and a fragrance free version. I just ordered 3 bottles to last me until the next restock (they always sell out!).
Comfy Inexpensive Jeans
Having a toddler has certainly shifted my style. Comfort is way more important to me than it used to be. And I really only buy things that are machine washable these days. I bought these Old Navy jeans last month because I wanted a loose pair of inexpensive denim to wear on playdates. And I’m obsessed! They’re so crazy comfortable, thanks to just the right amount of stress. And they’re $18 today. Win, win.
The whole site is actually 40% today as part of some pre-Easter sale. I did a try-on of some recent things I bought (pre-sale of course, don’t you hate when that happens?!). And I get so much of my son’s clothing there. At 40% everything is such a steal. If you don’t want to watch the try-on I also linked my faves here.
Currently Reading
I really miss reading. I talked about it back in January and I still haven’t had time to actually read. But I have managed to get through four chapters of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson. I threw away the book cover because I didn’t feel it was exactly kid appropriate. But aside from the overused profanities, so far it’s really good.
I love how he doesn’t sugar coat anything. It’s kind of like the quote I posted on Instagram this week. I know I can’t control that there will inevitably be rough waters. But I can choose what I allow to rock my boat.
Speaking of rocking the boat… lets chat STRESS.
Here are three things that have majorly been helping me deal with stress recently:
Mindfulness Exercises
I’m really bad at meditating. I’ve tried so many times over the years. It’s just too hard for me to quiet my brain. But my friend showed me a couple of activities he does for fun that I have found to be super helpful for my stress. They’re basically a creative way to practice mindfulness:
Rainbow Rocks
At the beach we collected different color rocks to form a rainbow. I found it to be meditative as it made me fully focus on the moment and my surroundings. I later read that there’s a whole movement that’s pretty similar called stone stacking (although apparently some argue that it can be dangerous). So I’m good with making rainbows for now.
Nature Close Up
It’s incredible what flowers and plants look like when you get up close and personal. For months, my friend and I would send each other super close up photos we took on our daily walks. His were mostly on the beach (lucky!). But mine were just on my neighborhood sidewalk. It made me stop looking at my emails for a moment. And I instead focused on the flowers and the trees while I walked my dogs.
The takeaway? Nature! I’m not an outdoorsy person. So I’m not too big on hikes in the middle of nowhere to de-stress. But by simply making colorful rainbows from rocks on the beach and taking photos of pretty plants in the suburbs, I’ve been able to temporarily clear my mind and let go of some stress.
Punching it Out
On the opposite spectrum, I started boxing again! The first time I took a boxing class was about 6 years ago. It worked wonders helping me get over a very toxic relationship I stayed in for way too many years.
I’m not good at boxing, but man is it an awesome stress reliever. I found a San Diego studio through Classpass, which is how I discovered the studio I used to love in LA as well. This is by no means sponsored. I just personally have always loved the app since it lets me to do different types of workouts and try out new studios. This link gets you 20 credits if you’re new.
*And no, I did not look like that in my most recent boxing class. That’s a photo from this workout post on my blog.
Green Smoothies
I took a little break from my daily green smoothies over the winter. I was just too cold to make them (apologies if you’re reading this in the Northeast and have to deal with actual freezing winters).
In the New Year, I noticed that I started stress eating. I had never done that before. It was getting to the point I needed at least 6 chocolate chip cookies every night. And I’m not talking about those little bite size ones. These were straight up adult, normal size cookies. I kept clearing my home of any sugar but I’d still manage to find something sweet: Annies’s Bunny Fruit snacks I kept in the pantry for my son’s older friends, leftover Halloween candy I forgot to throwout out… you get the point.
They say you have to reach an all time low to change. And boy did I reach it. One night I went into the freezer and took out the baby shower cake I had saved for over a year to bring out at my son’s birthday for a fun memory. Jack Jack and I ate the frosting together on the kitchen floor. The next morning I knew I needed a change.
For whatever reason, reintroducing my green smoothies every morning has majorly curbed my newfound sugar addiction. I make one every morning (mostly variations of this recipe I’ve been using for 7 years).
A bonus? My son loves green smoothies too! We make them together and it’s become such a fun daily activity. Watching him giggle in delight definitely helps with stress as well!
I hope those are helpful if you’re going through something stressful right now. And even though it doesn’t exactly have to do with stress or anything else in this week’s newsletter, my mom sent me this quote yesterday. It’s just too good not share:
“Telling me to relax or smile when I’m angry is like bringing a birthday cake into an ape sanctuary. You’re just asking to get your nose and genitals bitten off.” - Amy Poehler
Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!
xx, Sydne