beauty // inside and out

Published Friday, February 28, 2014 by jodi renee.

I've been my own guinea pig my whole life. Going in and out of periods where I was a supplement junkie, to trying every beauty product on the market - I swear sometimes my cupboards could give Shoppers Drugmart a run for their money!

From cheap to luxury brands, from loaded with synthetic to all natural ingredients. I've been to naturopaths, homeopaths and Dr.'s of Chinese Medicine.

At one point, all this money and effort leaned more towards the vain part of myself. I wanted to SEE the results I wanted to see.

More research, more trying and testing, more awareness and understanding. I realized that I pour so much into this obsession now because I value my body and my health.

I want to FEEL good.
It's such a radical yet simple shift, and when it can happen, everything changes - it's that profound.

We THINK that by looking good, we'll feel good. When in reality, it has to happen the other way around for us to ever be happy and fulfilled. Why do you think a woman can spend thousands and thousands on cosmetic surgeries and STILL be unhappy?

I also want to know that the things I'm putting IN and on my body are healthy, not harming the earth or other animals in the process.
Not to mention there are so many mediocre products we waste money on thinking we're saving money, when in reality, we're literally wasting money. Saving money on cheaper fish oils might mean they're production of this product makes it less available for the body to actually absorb. If the company doesn't give a rat's ass about where the fish comes from, we've now got a toxic product on our hands that not only isn't good, is actually doing more harm than good.

What's in my cupboards? The below are my tried and true highly recommended fav's. The vitamins come in reg (for those that aren't prego!) and the Belly Jelly - is just an awesome body lotion, you could use regardless. If you are pregnant - this is an amazing product to keep any stretch marks at bay! Plus I just love the feel and smell of it.

1. Perfect Prenatal by New Chapter Organics
2. Ascenta NutraSea fish oil
3. Pure Encapsulations Probiotic 50b
4. Substance Belly Jelly by Matter Company
5. Dr. Alkaitis Skin Care - LOVE!!!!! and have been using for years.
6. Cocoon Apothecary Skin Care

Where can you find?
The vitamins, belly jelly and Cocoon skin care can be found for a great price at Well.ca
Popeye's Supplements carry the fish oil. Saffron Rouge is amazing for Organic Beauty and Skin Care products. I buy Dr. Alkaitis from here as well as lots of other goodies! they send you samples with orders, which I LOVE. Holistic Nutrition Nature's Apotheke in Waterloo is where you can buy the probiotic, this is special order because it's a bit higher priced. For a good probiotic that's dairy and soy free, without the FOS - it's a must!

Questions about the above? let me know! xo jodi renée

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a life changing practice...

Published Thursday, February 20, 2014 by jodi renee.


Almost 10 years ago, yoga literally fell into my lap. It has become a practice that I've committed too on the mat, more importantly off the mat.  I can honestly say it saved me, sustains me and now creates space for this little person in me AND in my life.
For more than 15 years I obsessed with my exterior. How everything I did or ate affected the way I looked. I paid a big price for this…with my body, my skin, my mental health.

There is nothing more damaging than living a life fixated on the superficial. TOO much time spent in a gym, feeling guilty about things that I ate, and constantly worrying about 'how I looked".

I was riddled with anxiety and stress, bad skin for 8 years of my life. People wonder why I hid from the camera? Yet, how do you put yourself out there when you have to keep up with 'perfect'? This was a job in itself and a vicious cycle that fed itself.

My diet has RADICALLY changed. I eat way more stuff that was on the 'banned' list years ago, that would normally send me to the gym for guilt motivated cardio. I work out at a fraction of what I used too. From 5-6 days a week at the gym for hours, to probably once a week (if that) …and when I do go, I go because I WANT to be there. To enliven my body, invigorate my muscles, to get the blood pumping. But I'm far more interested to walk outside amongst the fresh air and trees, or go for a run…tap INTO nature, and my TRUE nature, with yoga. I make sure that I'm always giving my body something, my intentions have nothing to do with 'how I look' but 'how I feel'. The byproduct? I look and feel greater than ever before. In fact…at 2 months pregnant, (if weight matters) I weighed less than before my hard core days of strict eating and working out. Mind you, I have a lot less muscle, but I don't have more than I need.

I can honestly say, I have never felt so balanced and healthy in my whole life.

I love the below quote from Bryan Kest...and if you want to know more about this journey and how I got to this place, let me know. xo jodi renée

"The original function of exercise was to heal or maintain health. It wasn't about looking good so much as feeling good. Now, most exercises have nothing to do with healing and everything to do with looking good, creating even more dis-ease or imbalance by overdeveloping the outer muscles and ignoring the rest. Even the exercises themselves, created to give fast and extreme results, can be damaging. Yoga is about balance, because health is a state of balance.

The practice of yoga is the practice of cultivating balance - mental as well as physical, because they go hand in hand. Doing the poses is one thing, but how we do them is the key; that's the yoga, the state of mind behind all things. The outer environment in which I live, is a reflection of the inner environment in which I live. The yogis traced back the root of all misery and, the seed from which that root stemmed is attachment. And, what am I more attached to than me and my body? I have this image of myself and, when I can't maintain it, a whole lot starts to surface…" - Bryan Kest

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kelly and peter

Published Thursday, February 06, 2014 by jodi renee.

 
 
  
On THE winter storm of 2013, right before Christmas...
Kelly and Peter said "I do".
It was quick and quaint and absolutely beautiful.
Best wishes and congrats! xo

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snow days...

Published Monday, February 03, 2014 by jodi renee.

What a long day of running around, getting things done.
Finally got the boys out to expend weeks of energy...The snow was up to our knees!
I forgot how much I needed fresh air...
Flushed, exhausted and full...of happy.
xo

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happy new year + our big (little) secret...

Published Thursday, January 09, 2014 by jodi renee.


There's something about a secret, as sacred as this, and as excited as we are...it was ours to keep.
We've been keeping this big little secret for quite some time.

Every time I went to post these photos, I felt like my heart was going to burst.

Not sure what makes my heart happier...knowing this little bundle of joy is only 4 months away, or having this amazing man beside me who is going to make a wonderful father.
For all of this I am blessed and eternally grateful. Stay tuned...
xo

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