How To Get Over A Plateau

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Earlier this year I was struggling with the progression of my weight loss. Despite upping my weights, doing more cardio and eating more carbs I was stuck in a plateau for months.

I tried it all, different types of exercises in all forms, intensities, and endurance. Although my body was looking more toned the fat layer just seemed to stay in place.

It was starting to destroy the self-confidence I had gained from the weight loss

So how did I solve this pesky issue?

I changed my diet.

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The Back Story

I wasn’t actively seeking to change my diet, it was a fluke.

In fact, I was reading a study about the effects of gluten causing adult acne. Which I had pretty bad.

I changed to a gluten free diet and there were numerous other side effects. These included clear skin, more energy, and less bloating.

Bloating that was causing me to plateau.

Watching The Pounds Melt Off

As I progressed with this new diet, the pounds were melting off like nothing before. I’ve noticed a big reduction in my trouble areas and my confidence has come completely back.

I’ve had never been happier with my weight loss progression.

I just wanted to share with those who have hit a plateau this can mean a plethora of things. However changing exercises, going up on weights, adding reps, and changing your diet are all great places to start.

Stay motivated, stay healthy.

If you enjoyed this post, then let me know in the comments below. Don’t forget to give this post a like!

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Maintaining A Healthy Blog Work Life Relationship

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It is no secret that blogging chores just seem to never end. It’s an endless tunnel of planning, writing, editing, publishing commenting, promoting, liking, and sharing.

A blog itself can be considered a full-time job, however, for most, the option to blog full time doesn’t food put food on the table.

So how do you maintain a full-time blog and a 9-5?

Answer: planning ahead!

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The Reality

I write a minimum of 5 posts a week for my readers. That can be 20-30 posts in a month of 300 words or more!

Think of that, it’s a small novel I write every month.

I also work 40-50 hours but not at a 9-5. I work in hospitality so I literally work on a 24 schedule.

So when I’m not meal prepping, squeezing in a workout, and doing household chores. I am trying my best to squeeze in blogging chores.

The Not So Day Off

When I do get a day off its not really a day off. Unlike most people, I don’t get weekends so it is common to have one day off sporadically.

This means my day is, go, go, go, from start to end.

Depending on my work schedule I write anywhere from 1-10 posts in a day. This means written and edited. I do keep a notepad to collect ideas on, so it is a matter of implementing them.

This way I avoid writer’s block too.

I usually shoot 1-4 posts in terms of photography. This is usually DIY, Eye looks, Recipes and Workouts I have tried and wanted to share.

Then I heavily promote older content from the last two weeks.

I also take this opportunity to thank my followers on twitter, share old content on Facebook and Instagram. Finally, I pin my content on Pinterest.

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Work Days

Depending on the day of the week I either post something new in the morning or take the opportunity to bang off a new post if it isn’t a new content day.

I then promote my content by Bloglovin’ and liking and comment on other blogs.

Once I get home from work I promote on social media.

Having a Contingency Plan

Because I’m so busy it is best to have a contingency plan in case something falls through. For instance, if I cannot complete everything I back up days to complete it.

I post generally Monday through Friday. Saturday and Sunday are my slowest days so there’s no point in putting out content. So I use the weekends as my back up days to emergency new content.

For social media, I try to pin my content on Saturdays (high volume day for Pinterest) and post a new image to Instagram on Sunday nights (high volume time).

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Overall Thoughts

Blogging is an endless job, however, the drive I get from all the comments and likes keeps me going. If I had it my way I would just focus on my Lidsandstricks and nothing else as this is my true passion.

The best blogs succeed because of the passion that has been driven into them. However, it takes dedication, frequency, and consistency to propel them past others.

A lot of new bloggers aren’t prepared for the amount of work that goes into maintaining a blog and easily give up.

Stay motivated! Happy Blogging!

Did you find this post interesting? Let me know in the comments below and don’t forget to give it a like!

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Product Review: Boscia Oil Free Nightly Hydration

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Lately, I have been very on the fence with Boscia products and their performances compared to lesser brands.

Ladies and Gentleman, I am happy to present to you a winner!

The Product

Boscia Oil-Free Nightly Hydration

This product comes in a 1.4 Fl.oz dispensing pump tube. The product comes out as transparent and absorbs into the skin as a gel.

This Boscia Oil Free Nightly Hydration is great for oily, and combination skin individuals as the product absorbs into the skin almost immediately.

Simply, dispense and pat into the skin. A little product does go a long way. So this will last a long time despite the size of the packaging.

For those with sensitive skin, this is an excellent pick as the product is lightweight and does not appear to cause breakouts.

If you have dry skin, this product is not overall moisturizing–just hydrating. However, if you have dry patches this product will help to smooth those down.

This product does not have a greasy feel to it or a fragrance.

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Final Thoughts?

This product is great for all skin types and due to how little product is needed to cover the face it will last a long time.

This Boscia Oil Free Hydration is not intended to be a moisturizer, but an extra step to introduce extra hydration into your skincare routine–perhaps after suffering a sunburn or in the winter months.

I love how there is no fragrance and or greasy feel to this. The product is ultra light weight. I feel almost naked on the skin but comfortable enough that you don’t feel dry.

Did you find this review helpful? Let me know in the comments below and don’t be forget to give this post a like!

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Product Revisited: Kate Somerville EradiKate

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I remember when I bought this product I was so excited. This sulphur based product did wonders for my skin from a mild pimple to the angriest cystic acne.

In fact, in my original review (Product Review: Kate Somerville EradiKate), you can read about how enthusiastic I was that this was a new staple in my skincare routine.

So what changed?

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The product does not have a long shelf life!

After about 4 months of owning this product all the liquid that harnesses the sulphur sediment evaporated. As I was taking special care of this $30+ product, all the liquid simply disappeared. Thus, making it impossible to dig out the sediment to treat acne.

I did not leave the cap off of this once.

As it is right now it is difficult to get enough sediment to stick to a Q-tip and you have to really dig for content.

Final Thoughts

I am really disappointed by this discovery. I’m on the fence whether or not I would purchase this again. On the pro side, it did a wonderful job of treating and taming my acne.

On the con side, for $30+ I expect a product to perform better, I don’t know if this is a packaging issue or ingredient issue. But I only got halfway through a bottle of this product.

Honestly, I am entertaining the idea of the Mario Badescu treatment it sells for half the cost. I just have to see what shipping restrictions there are for Canadians.

If you found this Product Revisited helpful, let me know in the comments below so I can continue to follow up with old reviews. Don’t forget to give this post a like!

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Smoked Salmon Look

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For this simple yet elegant smoky eye, I used the Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette. If you don’t have this palette, a great alternative would be the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette.

This look is great for green and blue eyed individuals.

Steps are as follows

  1. With a fluffy blending brush, buff the shade Georgia all over the eye to brow bone.
  2. Using an angled blending brush, lightly blend Charmed, I’m Sure in the crease area. Be sure to hug the eye lid area.
  3. With a small loose blending brush, lightly blend Tempting into the crease below Charmed, I’m Sure. From the outer corner going 1/2 into the lid.
  4. With concealer of your choice and a small detailer brush, lightly cover the 1/2 of the lid starting from the inner corner.
  5. Using a small brush, pat on the shade Bellini onto the concealer. With the brush used in step 3, blend until you have a seamless transition.
  6. With a concealer brush, highlight the brow bone and inner corner of the eye with the shade White Peach.

There you have this simple Smoke Salmon Look.

What are your thoughts on this look? Let me know in the comments and don’t be afraid to give this look a like!

You can also follow Lidsnadtricks on Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Bloglovin’.

 

Gluten Free Diaries: Ch-Ch-Changes!

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I have been gluten free for just over 3 months now.

In this time I have noticed several changes with my body and overall mentality.

For those who suffer from acne, sleep issues, and even wacky hormones I suggest you read on.

I do not claim to be a doctor or dietician these are just changes I have noticed with my body and I wanted to share my journey with you!

Acne

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I have suffered my entire life with acne. Here I am, at 25 and still have cystic, digestive and hormonal acne. It has caused me to miss a plethora of events in my life because I was simply embarrassed by it.

I have missed work and even lost jobs because of it. In fact, the only thing that came of it was creating this blog.

But enough of that.

I was researching for a post and read a study about adult acne and gluten. I took the leap of faith and went gluten free. I saw my skin healing with in 4 days and I was shocked.

I still get some acne but it is 95% better than what I was experiencing.

You are what you eat!

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Chronic Sleep Issues

Before I changed my diet, I would say I had chronic sleep issues. I would drink 4 coffees in a day and still would have to nap 1-2 hours or I would literally go without sleep for 24 hours simply because I had insomnia like issues.

Part of this is because of my work. I work in hospitality and therefore work on a 24 hours clock at all hours of the day. So it was impossible to get my body into a set routine.

When I went to a gluten free my energy levels went up and I felt more like a human being. I could go a full day on only 1 coffee and I don’t need to nap ever. I have had only one insomnia episode in the past three months and that was the night before my driving test (don’t tell my instructor).

Bloating and Weight Loss

I have been on a weight loss journey over the last two years. Although, I was comfortable with my weight loss success I hit a plateau at the beginning of this year.

It seemed like no matter the intensity or variations of exercise I was doing I just couldn’t past this plateau. I was almost at a point of defeat.

Then I changed my diet and realized that gluten was bloating my body, preventing me from getting the results I wanted.

Since cutting out gluten my body has become leaner yet more defined. Without all that extra bloat on my body, I feel better overall not carrying that extra weight around.

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Periods?

I don’t know if this is just a coincidence or I’m experiencing a change in hormones but I have noticed over the past three months a litter period.

Remember I’m not a doctor.

I have noticed that my menstrual cycle has lightened and even shortened up. Overall, I have experienced less pain from menstrual cramps (thank god).

Generally, I am a very heavy bleeder (can soak through a super plus tampon in 3 hours) over 5 days. Now I don’t experience that heavy bleeding like before and my period has shortened by .5-1 day.

All in all, I have barely experience hormonal acne before my period, and there have been no instances of cystic acne.

What do you think of this post? Let me know in the comments below and don’t be afraid to give this post a like!

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Chapter 6: The Cordoned Surprise

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I have worked in hospitality for way too long!  I thought I could have been put in every situation possible.

Then you get a situation that makes you laugh and shake your head at.

This is one of those situations.

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It is no secret that hotel rooms are the scene of numerous explicit activities. However, do to the hotels taking cuts where ever possible. This meant that there were fewer housekeepers and more work, resulting in a few corners being cut, and a couple dollars saved.

You can already see where this is going.

I got a call on a particularly busy day in the 4-star hotel that I worked at.

The front desk called me in there particularly normal yet disorganized fashion. I was assisting a family with a room move however they failed to tell me why.

I arrived on the families floor, knocked on the door, and announced myself as “Guest Services”.

The Father answered the door, in an almost breathless fashion. I could see the concern on his face.

I asked if they were ready to go to their new room. The Father cut me off and asked me if I wanted to come in to see “it”.

As a young female normally I would not go into a guests’ room alone. However, since it was a family of 4 I deemed it safe. Part of me wanted to see what “it” was.

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The walked in the two room suite. Through the first bedroom past the bathroom and into the second bedroom. I immediately noticed the family had turned the sofa bed around to cordon off the corner of the room.

The Mother told the Kids to go into the next room. The Father said he “didn’t know what to do and he didn’t want his kids to touch it”.

My heart is racing as I’m mentally preparing myself for some sort of animal or even dead animal.

The Father asks me to take pictures for the front desk. I just happened to have had my phone on me and comply with his request.

I have my camera phone out and slowly push the sofa bed away from the corner of the room. I’m clenched up in case something jumps out at me.

Then there “it” was.

A used condom cordoned off in the corner of the room. Mentally I breathe a sigh of relief. This is a normal occurrence, something that happens at least once a day. But I could tell the family was obviously disturbed by this.

I apologize and get them in their new room. I go back downstairs and follow up with the front desk and get the family a partial refund for when they checked out.

Like I said this was a common occurrence. Drunk people will whip the condom in the corner of the room. The next day they have no recollection since the housekeepers are on a strict (I mean very strict quota). They don’t think to check every nook and cranny when they’re just trying to cover the basics of the room.

In this case, the family just happened to find a used condom beside the sofa bed and under the curtain.

What hotel stories do you have? Let me know in the comments and don’t be afraid to give this post a like!

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