Right now, I believe…

that you really don’t need that post-3:30 PM coffee, even if you think you might.

that fresh air has never been more important.

that one-sided relationships don’t magically change just because there’s a pandemic.

that you’re not a worse person because you’re having trouble focusing/creating/being productive through this stress.

in waking up before everyone else to get some things done, even if you have no plans to leave the house.

that tomorrow is Saturday, even if every day this week felt like a big ol’ Monday.

in looking on the bright side, wherever you can find it.

The #1 question I get when I talk about CBD oil is “what does it do?”

I’ve been taking it regularly for over two months now and can report that I feel less anxious overall, but especially at night. I have been falling asleep faster and waking up more rested. I find that it quiets my mind, and I no longer find myself jumping awake, wondering if I turned the stove off or forgot to lock the door—the usual random things that used to keep me up as I was trying to fall asleep.

I also feel like I recover from workouts faster—especially with the help of the Relief Cream. I rub it onto my shoulder every night, and I have also used it on my belly/low back for period cramps and on my neck once or twice when I was getting a migraine.

The next question I usually get is “What products do you use?” or “If you had to pick just one product, which would it be?”

I started out using the Soft Gels, Daily Drops, and the Relief Cream (all available separately or in the Brilliance Box). Now I just take the Daily Drops every evening (I’m currently on my third bottle—I ordered a subscription so I don’t have to remember to reorder it, and it’s a little cheaper that way) and use the Relief Cream as needed. I’ll occasionally use the Daily Drops more than just at night if I have a lot to do and feel overwhelmed or am just feeling more anxious than usual—I feel them work right away. They don’t make you drowsy or feel weird in any way, they just calm your mind so you can chill out and focus on your day again.

If I could only pick one product, it’d be the drops. The soft gels were great but you can think of them as a supplement—you take them every day and they are slow-release, where the drops can be used more as-needed and work right away.

This post contains affiliate links (and my affiliate code!), which means that if you purchase something, I make a commission on that sale. Thank you!

We are well into the second month of 2020 so I thought now might be a good time to fill you in on a challenge I’ve been wanting to do for some time, which is to not shop for an entire year. I decided to start in January, so I made myself a list of rules and have really enjoyed it so far! Here’s what my 2020 No Shop Challenge will look like:

Why though?

We all have too much stuff. Bloggers literally make a living telling us what we should buy next. I wear the same 4-5 things every week. I’m really concerned about the environmental impact of constantly throwing things out and replacing them with other things; and consumerism generally feels kind of gross to me. There are people out there doing more with less. I would like to do more with less. And saving some money is always an added bonus.

The Rules

1. No shopping for myself unless it’s to replace something that I use a lot which is now unusable and/or not worth repairing.

2. No new makeup unless I run out of something.

3. No new beauty/skin care/hair products until everything I have already is used up.

4. If I do buy something not on the pre-approved list of allowed items, it needs to be second-hand or from a better quality, sustainably and more ethically made brand.

Allowed Items:

• Black jeans

• A black zip-up fleece jacket

• New CrossFit shoes

• A bra that I don’t hate

• Maybe some black flats

• 2-4 discounted pieces from my barre studio

I took a few weeks to make this list last year based on things I didn’t have in my wardrobe that I thought about pretty regularly. Then in December I received a gift card and was able to use it to knock out quite a bit of the list, which was really nice.

I ordered some high-waist black jeans so I can stop living in leggings, found the perfect zip-up jacket that I wear 2-3 times a week, got some random Nike Metcons on sale at an outlet mall (I was wearing old running shoes to CrossFit so literally any training shoe was a huge improvement), and finally found a bra that I don’t hate! As far as the black flats go, I’m taking a note of the times I wish I had a pair and will decide in a few months (especially once the weather gets warmer) if I need them.

I also replaced my nighttime moisturizer, which I love. My new favorite weird thing is finishing something in my vanity and waiting a while before replacing it—for like two weeks I used coconut oil as my nighttime moisturizer, mostly because I wanted to stay away from Target (I am definitely guilty of mindlessly buying random crap whenever I spend any time there). This is actually where online shopping comes in handy—you can just buy exactly what you need without being tempted by the things you don’t.

We use a very simple budgeting app to keep track of our spending and it’s been fun to see the “stuff” allowance stay full. I say it all the time and I really mean it—I just don’t need any stuff! Overall, I want to be a lot more thoughtful and intentional about the things I buy and consume, whether it winds up in my closet, on my skin, or in my kitchen; and I’m excited for this challenge to really shape me into better habits over the next ten to eleven months (or more!).

Have you ever done a year-long no-shop challenge? I’d love to hear about it!

This post contains affiliate links.