The first workweek of 2020 has officially come to an end, and I am left with feeling all the feels. Emotions are ricocheting all over. I made a few attempts to write this post, but I kept having to stop and then erase what was typed. Everything that I wrote in my journal or typed got dark real quick, cause 2019 had me shook, babes. Ooofff...my feels were just down the dark rabbit hole - and not the cool, psychedelic rabbit hole from 'Alice in Wonderland. More like the pits of hell. And I'm so over that place.

2019 was a bish. It was supposed to be so much better than 2018, but it proved to be the same if not worse. Launching my car off of an overpass bridge after I flipped multiple times was not really what I had in mind for this past year. The pain that was inflicted on my body, the emotional strain on my soul, and the financial toll that my absence caused my business sucked. Being diagnosed with PTSD, having nightmares, and panic attacks have not been fun. The anniversaries of the loss of some main people in my life were not easy. Going through the holidays without them, freaking miserable. And being forced to look at the crater-sized hole that became my life, not a pretty picture. But...here's the thing...I'm okay. And being just "okay" is honestly an improvement. Not #winning in life improvements, but it has been worse for me.  

There's good stuff here though. Like, for the first time in all my life, I feel like 1) I know who I really am. And 2) I'm actually dealing with myself. Legit grown-up stuff is happening!

Let's begin with #1 - Ashley, at nearly 37, finally knows who she is! That is huge for me. Yes, there are bits to my life that are always constant and do help create my overall makeup, but for all of my life till now, I really never knew "me." After the accident, the girl who I thought was me did die that day. Dramatic, but true. And I had to mourn the loss of her. Therefore, there's a new Ashley now. Some familiar parts are left for sure, but overall a new chick is here. What I've realized, and what has been just the biggest mind-blowing thing for me, is that I never knew that being a people pleaser and a doer meant that I had contoured my own life to fit the needs, wants, and desires of others - whether it was family, close friends, or even a person I had just met. I never truly knew who I was, and I feared that if I questioned someone or challenged them, they would dismiss me.

All my life I've been an impressionable person. I never outgrew my insecurities. I never evolved. My insecurities just became increasingly more and deep-rooted. And because I truly find joy in helping others and contributing to their happiness, this combination made for a hard and painful life lesson that took me all till now to learn. I get taken advantage of a lot. I am an easy target for people to run over. I grew up having my self-worth heavily impacted by the opinions of others throughout my life. When I say I was impressionable, I mean full on. Not as in only taking on the interests of people I liked - way more than that. I would nearly kill myself to show loyalty and confused that for a friendship. I had never given myself a chance. I constantly lived my life through the opinions and judgments of others, terrified that if I did not shape and mold myself to fit them, they would be disappointed and not only not like me but would forget me and I would be alone. To keep that belief going into adulthood, my marriage, motherhood, and to have that feeling wrapped around your business can be detrimental to one's mental health. It all caught up with me and shish hit the fan. I lost my way. 

When I opened The WellHouse Fit, I knew that I wanted to create more than just space where people worked out. I wanted to create a brand. A lifestyle brand. So cliche considering our modern times, but true! My business is my life and my life is my business. Those lines can't help but cross over. Owning a business can be an emotional savage. Especially true for one that requires you to be very open, available, and exposed publicly to the world of social media. That kind of exposed vulnerability can 'bout damn near kill a bitch. To have your gut feeling so confident but then to only be hit with the opinions of people you thought cared...low blows that hurt so bad they'll make you drop to your knees. It's that constant dream about "making it". That dream of small-town kids breaking away to go off and make it in the big city. Not me. Shugs...I'm just trying to make it in a small southern town and it has proven to be near impossible. 

This moves me to the second discovery of 2019 - #2 - Ashley finally handles her mess. Let me start with this - just because I kind of lost my way for a bit, doesn't mean I had lost my sense. My gut instinct survived and because of that and getting diagnosed with PTSD, I must deal with all my beautiful messiness. I have been doing so through the help and guidance of professionals and therapists, my life partner, and my ride or dies. I have learned so much not only about myself, but more about others. Others as in current people in my life, the types of people I attract, and the personalities that I should have more boundaries with or stay away from altogether. Who am I? What do I want? Where am I going? What can I handle? What is acceptable? All of my parts - I'm dealing with them all. Oh, it sucks to do so. It's not a fun process when it comes to having to hold myself accountable for feelings that I have. I can't put blame on everyone else. But what I can do is be open and honest with myself. Know that I am a value in this lifetime and I am loved by many. I am. 

I turn 37 this year. 37 years old defiantly put me in the "getting older" category and I'm not that young anymore. 37 is also the same age as the mom in the 90's cult classic film "Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead," and I think I look way better than that poor woman. First off, I don't have 5 kids. I'll stick to my 3, and I don't have kids in high school. No wonder that poor women needed to run off to Australia with her boyfriend. No judgment here, girl. My point is, I'm rounding the corner to 40. Young in the grand scheme of life, but old enough to know things. And it's time I knew myself. 

2020 will be a good year. Hopefully great, but I will settle for plain good. I like this new girl. This new Ashley. She's cute, fun, southern, and sassy. But she does have her limits and will protect her heart with boundaries. That's a new one for me - boundaries. I am the healthiest I've ever been in my life. I finally feel like I know how to handle and style my hair - thank god! I am loving my business. Still don't know if the financial gods are in my favor, but I am so proud of my hard work and what I do for a living. That's super important for me - to love what it is that I am doing, and that must be the case in order for me to leave my children (Sometimes just a cocktail and my girlfriends will get me to leave them, but you know what I mean...). I want to keep being confidently creative in all ways. So whether that's posting dance vids, funny selfies, work emails or creating art - all of it. I want this, this blog, Be In The Glow to continue to grow and blossom. And last, I want to feel ALIVE this year. I am a survivor of many things and I have had to just hang on tightly to survive. But, what is living if you are barely surviving just to get by? I want to thrive this next year! To thrive by being in the glowing light to truly feel ALIVE.

xoxo,

There She Glows

Holy sheet mask!!! They are EVERYWHERE and by "everywhere", I'm not just talking about on the shelves in the store. I mean people are literally wearing them out in public, running errands - there's no shame in one's beauty game. And based on the increase of variety in the beauty market along with all of the hilarious pics that are posted on Insta, the sheet mask craze is here to stay. The use of the fun, fad sheet mask is now a weekly, and sometimes even daily, staple to most beauty and skincare routines. Sheet masks are no longer being considered as just a fun, once in a while thing to do at sleepovers - they are now competing for more in the treatment serum department of skincare.

People literally slap them on while in transit on flights, at the school drop-off, and of course posted all over social media - you just cannot notlaugh at someone while they're wearing one. It's freaking hilarious and I am guilty of snapping many pics of myself whilst wearing one of these things. Just the sight of someone wearing one can have you grimace over the similar appearance to the horrific scenes from HBO's Chernobyl.

See what I mean...Quite the shock factor for sure.

These saturated fabric material masks can carry quite the nutrient cocktail that gives an instant delivery of radiant skin.  Whether they're used for treatment and a part of one's skincare regime or used as a prep for a flawless makeup application, the beauty industry is booming with them. From plain white to animal print, they're everywhere and for everyone, no matter the age.

Okay...So what's a sheet mask?

Whether you ask Alexa or Google, the answer is the same and pretty simple. Originating in Japan and South Korea, the sheet mask is a face-shaped mask (resemblance to the infamous Jason mask or Clark Griswald from Christmas Vacation) made of different materials that are soaked in typically a nutrient-packed solution, comparable to a serum. When I say soaked, most often when you pull it out of the packaging, it's dripping with liquid and is quite cold. Personally, it gives me chills throughout my whole body and I always take in a quick breath bracing myself for the hated cold sensation. The sheet can be made of different types of materials - papers, cotton fibers, or gel types. 

How do they work?

Because there is literally a sheet made of different materials that are saturated with nutritional ingredients and laid on top of the face, it provides a physical barrier and prevents quick evaporation of the functioning skin ingredients. This allows the ingredients to penetrate deep into the skin. Because of this, the sheet mask can possibly outperform a more traditional serum and leaves the skin feeling plump and hydrated.

What's in them?

So this is where the masks vary. Depending on the skin concern and cost, you will find different ingredients. But much like the body, the #1 ingredient that will most likely be in ALL masks is water. Don't be bummed or think that having H2o as the #1 ingredient is a ripoff, cause it's not. Water is a carrier of complimentary ingredients and is normally the first thing in most skincare products. Moreover, water in the formula helps with the delivery to the skin and can help stronger ingredients be more palatable to the skin. 

After water, the next list of ingredients can be any kind of botanical extracts, humectants, peptides, or hyaluronic acid. Again, the list of ingredients that follows after water will simply depend on what kind of mask it is. So, if you're just looking for some hydration to the skin, look for masks that contain hyaluronic acid. If you want your skin brighter, look for masks that contain botanical ingredients such as Vitamin C.

Do they really work?

Although there are currently no known clinical testing or studies that have been completed to show results, most experts would agree that sheet masks can give and improve the skin's appearance. Look for proven ingredients to get the most from them. After the recommended time of wearing the mask 10-12 minutes, the skin is left notably more hydrated, brighter, and plump. 

What's the cost?

Just like anything the cost is a wide range from $1-$25 per individual mask. By design, they are all intended to be hydrating and soothing to the skin. But, depending on the material of the mask itself, ingredients and quality of ingredients will determine the cost. So whether you want to have something fun to do at a sleepover or to actually treat a skin concern, the range of types and cost is wide. Which gives the consumer plenty of options at several different price points. 

Prior to my days of being a Pilates and Fitness instructor, I worked for one of the leading cosmetic companies in North America at an executive level for nearly 15 years. So the beauty game is embedded in me. I love all things skincare and makeup, especially from a more educational and treatment standpoint. Not necessarily the influencer game, although the influencers are the ones who get the word out on what the next beauty and skincare trends will be. The bottom line, I love these betches! They really can create a game-changer in the skin. I have tried many brands that range in price and have always found some kind of improvement to my skin. Whether it was just an instant result or one that lasted until the next day, sheet masks are a staple in my skincare routine. 

It's called Self-Care Sunday. Don't judge.

Give them a go! If not to use for the treatment benefits for your skin, then use them for a hilarious and funny moment that will be remembered by a saved picture on your phone. Or maybe delete it, cause it ain't cute. Here are some of my favorite brands, both prestige, and mass market, they're all good to me!

SK-II

Tatcha

DR. JART+

Tonymoly

Yes to

xoxo,

There She Glows

Not everyone has a whole hour in their busy schedule to give to a fitness class - whether the class is at a studio like ours, or you're self-motivated (not I) and can knock out a workout at home.  An hour can be too much to commit to! So, I have put together my favorite quick exercises using the Pilates Magic Circle, which can be done within a 15-minute session. Easy peasy. Not that the workout is easy though - heck no! This workout is a tough motha! And even though it's only 15 minutes, you will be left dripping sweat and feeling muscles in places you didn't even know you had. 

There is no shame in only having only 15 minutes to cram a workout in. Life happens, and time will always get away from us, but if you can give yourself and your body just 15 minutes, it's better than nothing.  This video can be completed anywhere, hotel room, living room, or office. The Pilates magic circle is lightweight and is easy to toss into your suitcase for traveling or to tuck away under the bed. Just grab it and go!

Give this video a try and happy sweating, and let us know what you think! Oh, and another thing, if you have another 15 minutes to give, you should try stretching while using the magic circle. It's delish! You can head to Be In The Glow's YouTube channel and watch our stretching video using the ring too.

As always,

Let's Be In The Glow

It is officially Fall, y'all. That means pumpkin spice all over the place, sweater weather, crunchy leaves, cute booties, football tailgates, and warm tone makeup palettes. And just like you switch out your wardrobe from summer chic to fall cozy, you should do the same with your skincare routine and makeup. Maybe you don't really think about it until your skin has cracked like the Sahara Desert and you're spending $$$ at Sephora trying to remedy the damage that has already been done. Playing skincare scientist is not always fun and it can be a bit of an expensive nightmare. So save yourself the trouble and get on the change now!

So what is it that you should do differently? First, let's go back and assess the skin health and beauty pyramid. According to The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), the skincare pyramid, much like the food pyramid, is a clinically-based guide to select topical skincare products. It is an instructional framework and product guide created from extensive scientific literature and study reviews on ingredients, formulations, and technologies affecting skin biology. Basically, it's a map to creating healthy skin. The pyramid tells you to do the following: cleanse, treat, moisturize, and protect. Follow those four steps daily and your skin will be in tip-top shape. Of course making sure you adhere to your skin type (oily vs. dry), skin concerns (acne, discoloration, lines), and skin needs.  

Some adjustments that are obvious are upping your moisturizers. Start with night replacement, because when we are at rest our skin and bodies are working their hardest, repairing all the damage from the day - and at night we lose the most moisture. Look for moisturizers that contain hyaluronic acid (I know it sounds super scary and something that the Joker would use, but trust me, it's amazing). Our own bodies produce hyaluronic acid, but getting extra through skincare is super important, and most of the time you find it moisturizers. Also look for products containing humectants, which is what binds moisture to the skin and we all need that in cooler months.  

Another change that may be needed is your treatment serums and/or oils. This isn't necessarily due to the change in season, but it's always a good time to revisit your treatment products. Just like anything else, over time, with continual use, our skin can build up a tolerance for our treatment products and it's time to reassess and revisit. If you're like me, you are less prone to breakout in the cooler months versus oily skin in the hot, humid months of summer. Therefore, my treatment program will change. In the dryer months of fall and winter, I notice more crappiness and lining, so I like to adjust my serum to a treatment oil that will help improve the appearance of lines.

Now here's a few things that should never change and that's exfoliation and sun protection. Exfoliation is so important on a daily basis. Both topical with a manual scrub, and internal with your treatment products. We want the freshest and newest layer of skin on the surface at all times - that's how we look so good. Exfoliation is crucial for the handling of the rest of our skincare and even make-up. If you decide to increase your moisturizer, then you need to remove the dead skin cells so that it can actually penetrate through the skin. Ever moisturized and your skin was left feeling gooey and sticky? I mean, yes it could have been just too heavy of a moisturizer, but more often than not, it's because you didn't slough off the dead skin prior to applying it, so the moisturizer just sat on the surface unable to penetrate. I'm not talking about taking a Brillo pad to your face, but a nice exfoliating scrub cream (Jesus, not St. Ives Apricot Scrub) or a serum that has salicylic acid or vitamin c, which will promote skin cell turnover. I use both a scrub and treatment serum and love them together.  

The other thing that shouldn't dare change is your sun protection. I don't know what it is, but when the bikinis go away, people think so should their daily sunscreen protection. Uh...no. Not correct. Sun is *sun* and it does not discriminate no matter what race, color, or season. It still will shine bright like a diamond and trigger those melanocytes. Protect your mug year round, ideally doing so in your moisturizer or a product on its own. However, I'm personally not a fan of relying on my sun protection coming from my foundation. One, I don't wear foundation every day, and two, I don't tend to slather on my foundation the same way I do with my moisturizer - I get all up in my hairline, ears, neck, everywhere - but I don't really hit my foundation that hard. If it's in my foundation, then great. Added bonus, but not where I first want it to come from. But it's better than nothing. 

Something else to not stop as our season's change is water intake. Keep it going! Keep up with your water intake. It's so typical that we let this important key factor go in the cooler months, and hit the coffee and warm tees hard instead, but water is still so crucial in skin health. Hydration keeps your skin plumper, more subtle, and it's a free treatment. So do it.

When it comes to your makeup up you'll need to make some minor adjustments there too. The most obvious being your foundation and concealer color. All good things must come to an end and your summer bronzed skin color is included. Don't walk around with your face one color and the rest of your body 5 shades lighter. Also, don't paint your neck and ears either. Doing while wearing a turtle neck sweater doesn't make it better - that's like a desperate act to hang on. It's best to have a couple of shades on hand both lighter and darker tones that will allow you to adjust as they become lighter. It's a natural process so let it happen. 

Something else to consider with your makeup is not only the color but what is it doing for your skin. Nowadays, the technology that's put into skincare and treatment products trickles down to the makeup level too. You may no longer need an oil-controlling foundation in the cooler seasons, but maybe you do need something with more hydration.  In the case that your cash flow isn't to the level of Kylie Jenner and are unable to buy out a Sephora every season, pay attention to the shelf-life of your products. Some do last from 12 to 24 months, which gives you time to come back to it with the seasons change again. So seal up tight and put it away for the time being.

So there you have it! Follow these slight adjustments to your skincare game and your skin will keep on glowing all year round. Unless you're just into that whole crypt keeper look. 

As always,

Let's Be In The GLOW

Using The Pilates Magic Circle To Stretch

Hi all!!!  I wanted to share with you this quick vid that shows how I like to use the Pilates Magic Circle to stretch! Now, normally this little tool can be quite the torture device and clients clinch at the sight of it, however; I personally LOVE to use it to stretch verses using the yoga strap. It allows me to stay more focused on what it is that I am trying to release rather than have to constantly adjust my hand grip on the yoga strap and cause my fingers to go numb. Don't get me wrong, the strap is defiantly a good tool, but the Magic Circle allows you to do some other cool stuff.  

Give this vid a go and let us know if you try anything out!

xoxo,

There She Glows