Transcription
I'm going to be up front here: your girl is in a rut. I've been in a rut for quite some time now, feeling depleted and unmotivated, doing the bare minimum. There was like a small voice in my head that said maybe I should just move all this crap outside the frame, but I was like, nah. But the thing is, eventually you get to a point where you're just sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, and today is that day. I woke up this morning and I was like, we got to do some things my future will be happy about. All right, so let's get [Music] cracking. I'm getting ready to go to the gym. You know that's something that's been on that bare minimum list. Even if I'm not feeling great, I will at least go to the gym five times a week. Why? Because I feel exponentially better after I go. But it is a slog each morning to get going, and I ran out of Celsius, so I don't even have that extra boost to get me going. But it's okay; we got it, Cheeky! I'm going, Mommy's going to the gym. Yeah, you a treat.
[Music]
There's nothing to eat. Well, there's food. Food that's gone off as well. Oh yeah, that's gone off. Dang, what a shame, what a shame, what a shame. We're going to eat this, and then we're going to make some rice and make a little quick lunch for us. The rice is going to take some time, though.
[Music]
Guys, it does not get any better with this random meal that I made. This is essentially two eggs, an omelet under rice, broccoli, and a little bit of yellow curry that I had left over. I'm also going to have it with some kakugi, which is my favorite kimchi. I had no idea that making rice would spark a dish like this.
[Music]
Mhm, I could hear Cheeky clamoring downstairs.
[Music]
Cheeky's only... I have a little bit of a situation here. Last night around 3:00 a.m., Lennon was crying and he wanted to sleep in my bed. So, of course, I was like, you know what? Okay, let's sleep together. It was actually really cute; he was cuddling up to me. But then I woke up at 5:00 a.m. in the morning just feeling wet, just moisture. It's 5:00 a.m.; Lennon peed on my bed. What can you do? I blotted the affected area with a bunch of towels and then I sprayed it with this vinegar-water-soap mixture, blotted again, and now I just applied a very generous amount of baking soda onto the area. So hopefully, fingers crossed, this will remove the stain and the odor. I am so freaking tired, y'all. It's been around like 9-10 hours since then, so I think I'm just going to vacuum it up and then add some new sheets. Luckily, a package arrived for me. Oh yeah, got brand new bed sheets from Brooklinen! Huge thank you to Brooklinen for sponsoring this video. I got these sheets earlier on this week, but I've just been like, oh, I'll do it later. But now the time has come to whip these suckers out and put them on my bed.
Brooklinen is truly the crème de la crème. They've been tested and awarded by experts from GQ, Good Housekeeping, Wirecutter, and more. My motto is honestly, you might as well invest in something that's quality so that it can last. I love that you can customize your order. Instead of buying individual items, you can purchase a hardcore bundle, which includes a core sheet set, extra pillowcases, and a duvet cover. You can mix and match from a variety of colors and patterns to fit your particular vibe. My favorite has always been the classic percale hardcore sheet bundle. I just love the way these sheets feel; they're just crisp and feel cool on my skin. It's great for people who run hot while they're sleeping. Plus, Brooklinen is Oeko-Tex certified, meaning they've been tested for harmful substances and they meet strict safety criteria of the Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex.
Sleeping is definitely the highest form of self-care because when you sleep, that's when your brain and your body are processing and repairing from the day before. And so that's why I want to make sure that I am comfortable and luxuriating in these wonderful sheets. All my sheets are Brooklinen right now. Brooklinen is having their Labor Day sale, so all of their award-winning items are 25% off until September 3rd. You can stack this with the bundle deal, so you'll be saving a lot of money when you're shopping the sale. This is their biggest sale of the year until Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so you should definitely click the link in my description box to check it out. There is no code necessary; the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.
This is a really exciting moment for me because today I am going to show you my office. I have been without an office for, I want to say, 5 weeks. This whole creative process has been a journey, y'all. Run back the [Music] tape.
All right, lots of change happening this week.
[Music]
Wow, wow, wow, it's cute! Okay, so this is going to be my new office. I'm so excited! We've got the lime wash over here and then like a really peachy pastel for the heading wall right here. Very excited to see how everything turns out. This is Susie; she's an incredible interior designer. She's also been helping me with my space.
Give us the design process because it started with a vision. It began with your Pinterest boards, yes? And then from there, I had to come up with a vision. So I came back with a few different mood boards, and then she picked the one she liked the best. And then from there, we went into doing the layout of the rooms, and then I started sourcing the furniture. I sent you a bunch of furniture options, and then you picked the ones you liked the best, and then I ordered them. And then they went to the receiving warehouse, and they've been sitting in storage for quite some time. And today's the big install day!
Boom! See, it all looks effortless, but this has been a long time coming. The thing is, I know my strengths; my strength is not this. I freaking know what I like when I see it, but measuring, making sure that it's the right size... Susie took a look at my living room; she's like, this rug's too small, this is too high. Yeah, so it's nice to have a professional come in. I am obsessed with the way it looks. I'm going to be annoying and be like, there's still a couple of finishing touches, but overall, I feel like this space is very me.
So let me give you a little tour. T! Wow, look at that light streaming in! So this is where my desk is. I got this desk from in Georgia, and I just love how rounded the edges are. Over here, we have a huge planter, which I need to find a tree. This is my little daybed, probably the most temperamental fabric to get, but you can't deny that it looks freaking sick. Over here, we have my vanity, Lulu in Georgia. I love this little rippling edge here. This mirror is pretty 2015, but I cannot get rid of this glam mirror. I just love having good lighting all the time. This is my checkered beige rug, which I've had my eye on for a long, long time.
So the last outstanding item are these baskets right over here. I'm thinking about switching those baskets out and putting my books. It's honestly pretty remarkable what a change of scenery can do for your mindset. But now I feel like I have no excuses for delaying things. I definitely feel like a surge of creativity just existing here. I'm really happy to be in a space like this and extremely grateful.
As you can see, I'm in some workout gear because I'm about to head to a shuffling class. Yeah, I have appreciated the art of shuffling since I want to say 2014-2015. Whenever I see my girl Sophia shuffling, I'm like, I wish I could do that. She has tried to teach me countless times, but it just never really stuck. My algorithm noticed that I was watching shuffling videos, and so it just kept on serving me more, more, more. An hour passed, and then I realized I would like to learn how to shuffle. So I thought it would be best if I just found a class, and luckily I found one in Hollywood. It's called Gravity Space.
The thing is, I love a night out. I love dancing, listening to music, and I feel like if I could add shuffling to the mix, how sick would that be? But in order to get better at something, you have to clock in the hours, and I think the best way to do that is just to go to a class. It's intentional; there's money on the line, and there's obviously time. So this is my current shuffle. Okay, this is the Running Man. Wait, like that? The thing is, I still don't really know what to do with my hands. I also learned this dance move a month ago; it's a very rough draft. My goal is that I feel comfortable doing this in public because right now it just looks mad cringe. This is like... it's funny how I say I would never do this in public, yet I'm broadcasting this to all of you.
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Y'all, it takes us getting used to.
[Music]
That was so much fun! This class with Mary was exactly the class that I needed. I mean, yes, it was challenging, but so much fun. I feel like now I want to go home and just practice once I get L into bed.
This afternoon is going to be a very interesting one because I'm getting ready to go to Cheeky's evaluation with the dog trainer. She is 8 years old, and I'm just going to be completely transparent: ever since I became a parent, Cheeky's behavioral issues have begun to flare up. And don't get me wrong, she's still a very good girl, very sweet, but her main issue is when we walk her outside. Like, indoors, she is completely fine, an angel, but once we step out the door and we start walking, she barks at every dog, she barks at every person, she barks at anything that slightly moves. It's just been like this for the past nearly 3 years, maybe two and a half.
It's something that hasn't been at the top of our priority because when you're a parent, priorities shift, and unfortunately, these issues I just kept on putting in the backburner. I'm like, I'm just going to deal with this later, I'm going to deal with this later. But now the time has come; I am dealing with it now. I have no one but to blame but myself. I want to be able to walk with her without me clenching up every time I see somebody. I'm like, oh, she's going to bark, she's going to bark, you know?
We are meeting with Miles, who is a dog trainer, an expert dog trainer. I got this recommendation from Anna and Jesse when they adopted Arrow, saying you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but I think that's a lie. Cheeky and I have arrived at the park; we're just waiting on Miles. He said he's going to be 5 minutes late. I sent him my location, and I guess the evaluation will begin. She's not barking at anyone because there's nobody here at the park. This is probably the best time to come.
Yeah, that's the issue. See, she sees a dog way over there. See, this is what I get hella anxious because there are three dogs right here. Oh my God, wait, that's Miles!
This is my life, one and only. Huh, this is Cheeky. I'm Jen, nice to meet you. Pleasure to meet you.
40 minutes later, but only 15 minutes of work.
Yeah, put this down, the foot down. W, W, W. This W, W, goad and stop. Cool, Charlie Brown, rushing it today.
Yeah, what is in the air? Five strips that you would like to use. Don't worry if they're the same width.
Okay, let's see what we [Music] got. We also only ever use the rotary cutter with a self-healing cutting mat.
I really thought reality shows were real.
Yeah, no script. Our way through Jersey Shore. Don't have time to thank [Music] you.
I'm going to give it to my son. I'm pretty sure he's going to like, you know, like a little bed for the stuffed animals. I used to do that.
Yeah, right. This is arguably my most favorite time of the day. This is just where I feel the most peaceful. The day is done, baby is in bed, mama gets to relax. It's been a hot minute since I've done a get ready with me, so that's what we are going to do. Have things changed? Not really; I'm like kind of using the same stuff.
But first layer, then I met you living cleansing balm. I think I've gone through at least four jars of this; it's my favorite. Also, my friend Charlotte owns this. Shout out Charlotte! It's really cool when your friends create stuff that is quality and stuff that you support.
I'm feeling a lot better about my life. You know, emotions are so incredibly fleeting, and it's really important not to just get hung up when you're feeling down. A lot of times, it feels good to feel down, just feeling sorry for yourself, wearing that cloak of sadness. Just, you know, I honestly feel like it's like a very familiar energy to me. There are some people who just naturally gravitate towards sadness, and I definitely have that. As much as I come off as, you know, a really upbeat, positive person, there is a lot of sadness in my heart.
But it's like less about me wallowing about my personal issues. I mean, sometimes it's that, but a lot of times it's just like the state of the world, man. I feel like we're living in just increasingly chaotic times. When I think about the future and what that holds, that's the stuff that keeps me up at night.
Oh my God, there's like water in my eye.
This is the cleanser I use; it's SES. I just need one pump. This has been going a long freaking way. I love a cleanser that lasts. Oh, and it smells so good! It smells just like a fancy soap at a hotel. It's like herbal. Oh, smells so freaking good, man.
Then I get a cotton round going to go with another Then I Met You product. This is their Living Cleansing Tonic. This tones and also gets any remaining makeup off my face. We love a canvas!
It just takes a lot more energy to pull yourself up from a rut. At first, it feels like a lot of the stuff that you're doing is pointless, fruitless. But you have to remember that after you take three or four things off that list on your self-care list, you're going to feel better than when you started.
Mhm, I can't tell if that's like coming from my body or if that's coming from my face. Sometimes I really get down in even like where my boobs are, like underneath the boobs. Oh yeah, what the heck? Yeah, that's when I get the most significant amount of dirt. Am I just not showering properly?
Okay, for serum, I'm going to go in with La Mer, the Hydrating Infused Emulsion. It's very milky; my skin just drinks it up. I like to put lighter serums first because they just absorb faster. When you do thick first, then the light ones can't really penetrate the skin barrier.
For my last serum, I'm going to go in with Solas, who's the Ultimate S Serum. This is rich. Yeah, this is like my anti-aging stuff. This is like I'm about to be in my mid-30s. Eye cream, La Mer, tried and true. This one also lasts quite a long time.
And then to seal all this hard work in, I'm going to go with SAS, who's Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream. And then I'm just going to splooge this all on.
I guess what I'm trying to tell you is if you're in a place that's low, just know that it is temporary. In 2 years, I'm going to look at my problems now and I'll be like, wow, you overcame them. Good job! And how do I know this? Because every time I look at my journal entries from the past, I see myself fixated on an issue that appears unsolvable. But after 2 years, even like 6 months, I am over that. I've either found a solution or I have radically accepted my situation. Time really is a healer.
I didn't even get to show you guys my pillow that I made in sewing class. This is the final result! Wow, I'm actually really happy that I'm starting to do these classes. What prompted me to do all these classes recently is I remember like a couple of weeks ago, I was looking at my son and just writing down his schedule for the week. My son is booked and busy; he's got art class, music class, swim class. I found myself being like, wow, that must be nice. Every day you just have a different fun activity, learning a new skill.
And that's when I had that wait, I could do classes too! Like, I have always wanted to learn how to sew. I have watched so much Project Runway. It's never too late to learn! And when I took that class, I felt so fulfilled and present and extremely focused on the task at hand. And also, my teacher, I think her name was Kim. I think her name was Kimmy. She was fantastic; she was such a patient teacher but filled with enthusiasm and a lot of encouragement.
I can't wait to start on my second project, which will be a reversible tote bag. I also think that sewing is kind of unearthing a new passion for fashion again because I think we've become kind of desensitized to the amount of products that we are seeing and consuming. Sewing and creating my own clothes is going to help me create a deeper relationship to the garments that I choose to wear. If I am making my clothes or even just tailoring my own clothes or, you know, remixing things that I find at thrift stores, that's going to make me want to stretch out the longevity of the items in my closet.
I guess like my closing thoughts on this is leaning on people is important, but I find that when I lean on myself and I really listen to what makes me happy and what kind of stirs up a genuine passion, only I know what I want. Sure, people can throw suggestions at you, but you have to want it so much that you actually do something about it.
Well, that is enough Pillow Talk for tonight. I want to thank you guys for watching the vlog, and I will see you guys in my next one. Bye!