What I'm Loving

♥ quiet Friday night at home. No where to be, just quiet time unwinding by writing and watching the Bachelor.

♥ warm fuzzies on Valentine's Day and overhearing friends tell one another, "You're smart, you're beautiful, I'm so glad we're friends."

Speaking of friends, ♥ friends who are your soulmates. Like, you can never be too sure about guys, but you know without a doubt that the bffs will *always be there for you.

that being said, ♥ a specific look on guys that stops me dead in my tracks: Some sports apparel, puffer vest for winter, and a backwards hat. I see you, please stop looking so hot!

♥ my ASU blender bottle...best secret santa gift EVER! Fizzies AND school spirit? Yes!

♥ instagram stories. You want to know what I'm doing throughout my day? Check those out!

♥ friends who tell it like it is, and ♥ myself for knowing my preferences. Going out on Friday night? nah, I'm good.

♥ Zella leggings. And I need a new pair, so may the online shopping commence.

Happy Friday friends!

Welcome home!

I have missed blogging.

I wrote a post about Brené Brown's Daring Greatly (a book that has TRANSFORMED my life) over winter break and as I wrote, I thought to myself, "Wow, I love writing. I miss blogging. I need to do this more!"

For a LONG time I was doing most of my writing on my other blog, BigTime Literacy. I'm a teacher and an Literacy Coach, and so I have lots to say about that. But lately, I've found I've been super interested in nutrition and health and wellness, and really, I'd like to reinvigorate my little lifestyle blog over here.

So... I plan on posting more over here. March 1st starts the Slice of Life Story Challenge over at Two Writing Teachers, and I'll be connecting this blog with them for the first time (although it will by my sixth year participating in the month-long writing challenge!) It's always good to connect with others who have similar interests (writing and teaching to name a few) so I'm excited to see what will become of Hello Good Good Life over the next month and a half!

I originally began blogging here on HelloGGL back in March of 2012 as I took on my first Whole 30 for a month. Since then, I've learned so much about nutrition as I participated in and coached others through Arbonne's 30 Days to Healthy Living. But really, it's cool to come back to my initial purposes for writing, which had to do with living a healthy lifestyle.

And so I return home, where Hello Good Good Life was built on the idea of creating a great life, and was inspired by the song Good Life by One Republic. Our time here on Earth is so short, we should be living not just a good, good life, but THE BEST life. And so together, here with you, I hope to find things that can get at that.

Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to connect with me on Instagram and Twitter. And if you're all about that teaching life, there's years worth of posts over at BigTime Literacy.

Anyone want to write with me for a whole month? LMK and I can help set you up on a blog easy peasy!

Until next time, sending wellness wishes :-)

#Arbonne30

The Arbonne Mission

Health and Disease

#Arbonne30 Program

Eliminate acidic, addictive, allergenic foods:
Gluten
Dairy
Soy
Caffiene
Alcohol
Sugar

Three Big Differences

Nutritional Rebalancing

#Arbonne30 Program

For 30 days, we add health in six key areas:

1. We eat whole foods (1 ingredient) that are organic, cage free, grass fed, etc. We also add supplements that fit this ticket, Vegan protein and a fiber boost. We replace pop and coffee with Fizz Sticks. And, you may also add Greens Balance to get full servings of fruit and veggies.

2. We eliminate allergenic, acidic, and addictive foods: gluten, dairy, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, sugar. 

3. We increase nutrient absorption - You are not what you eat but what you absorb. We do this by adding health via our daily probiotics, Digestion Plus.

4. We balance blood sugar in the meals we cook and the supplements we use to add health.

5. We support organs of elimination with Detox Tea and the Body Cleanse.

6. We eat mindfully, listening and paying attention to our bodies.

Community focused!

Facebook group led by our holistic health coaches.

Personal coaching from your independent consultant :-)

Build DISCIPLINE

Our best product!

Preferred Client Shopping

Just a few notes about making the most of your Preferred Client (PC) status with Arbonne!

20-40% off all products, for the year!
Once you have enrolled as a PC, you can shop all individual products at 20% off. Additionally, if you purchase an Arbonne Special Value Pack (ASVP), you earn 40% savings. Arbonne runs value packs in skin care (RE9), nutrition, and makeup. Additionally, through the end of July 2018, the new products that have just launched in April are bundled in an ASVP, too!

Browsing our online store
Think of Arbonne as your healthy version of Amazon. You can shop on a computer at michellebrezek.arbonne.com or you can download our mobile app and browse on your phone. To see discounted pricing, you will need your login credentials, which I send all PCs in a card after they enroll. If you're unsure of your login information, I can get that for you, shoot me a text message or give me a call.

Of course, you probably have a catalog on hand, and it's usually easier to order simply by texting the items you'd like to me. I'm happy to process that for you, I'll just give you call afterwards for your payment information.

Free Shipping
Please keep in mind that shipping is a flat rate of 7.95, unless the  RETAIL value of your order reaches $150. Once you hit that volume, shipping is waived, and you earn a free gift! Remember, the retail value is $150, but after you take your 20-40% off, your out of pocket cost will certainly be lower. See the graphic below for a price point comparison!

Free Gifts
For every order of $150 placed, Arbonne adds a free gift to your account in the form of a voucher for your subsequent order. So, hypothetically, on your first order, you shop and spend $150 retail, and earn a voucher for a free gift on your second order.

Order number two must be placed within 60 days to redeem your free gift. The waived shipping and the free gifts really make shopping Arbonne much more economical, as you can see below.

It's always my recommendation that Preferred Clients shop every 60 days for 3-5 items, since your free gift is only valid for two months. In the event that you do not need anything or you do not want to try anything new, just let me know. Usually, I can find a shopper to use your voucher, so that way another one populates to your account and is good for another two months.

Here's the current free gift list, as of 6/1/18 --

The intent of this post was just to give a bit more information about making the most of your shopping with Arbonne. I'm always here to help out with any questions you might have, or do the ordering on your behalf to simplify everything!

Have a great night!

2018 New Product Launch!

So pumped coming back from our Global Training Conference! We have so much to be thankful for with Arbonne. We are committed to being the leading health and wellness brand, as evidenced by our "Not Allowed List." This list includes 2000 ingredients that are not allowed in any of our products, helping us to be healthy inside and out! Arbonne so understands the connection between what we are eating to nourish our bodies and what we are putting on our skin. Using our nutrition line in connection with skin care and cosmetics is a winning combination!

Let's get to the new products!

RE9 Advanced Prepwork
New skin care line for the Millennials, but can also be combined for us who are a bit <cough> older :-) Everyone should be taking care of their skin, after all, we wear it out EVERY DAY! This line is skin care line is targeted to woemen ages 18-35. Check out the video below, but this line includes a Superfood Cocktail of ingredients across four steps of the process:

1. Cleansing Polish: Gently exfoliates to buff your skin and also cleans of makeup and oils

2. Gel Eye Mask: These are amazing. Put them in the fridge. Then when you wake up, put them on. Puffiness and bags considerably reduced!

3. Hydrating Dew Cream: Airy hydration with a creme to gel formula.

4. Soft Focus Veil Mineral Sunscreen: Blur baby lines and protect your skin before you go out! 

As someone who has been using Arbonne for the past two years, I use the Calm wash daily, for one of the washes, but can definitely see including the Prepwork wash as well. The Gel eye masks will be a nice addition to the rest of my routine! I'll probably stick to the RE9 Advance for the toner, serum, eye cream, and day/night cream. I also incorporate the Intelligence facial oil, especially in the winter months when my skin is dry.

Mind Health
Our nutrition line has created this amazing product I could have never predicted, Mind Health. This is a nutrition supplement meant to be taken once a day. It's purpose is to produce focus, concentration, and enhance memory...it's there to nourish our minds! One of the ingredients it's formulated with is phosphatidylserine, a key ingredient in all our cells. We get this mineral from food, but usually not enough of it; it's a "key building block for the billions of cells in your brain!" (source). Arbonne knew this and created Mind Health. I've had this as my drink for lunch the past three days, and even though my to do list is insane this week, I notice a calm sense about it for sure. Must collect more information, but in the meant time, it tastes great - a very light cherry lime flavor, and even better with fresh lime!

Blackberry Fizz
These won't be out until June first, but a third flavor is added to our nutrition line! Fizz sticks are an awesome pop and coffee replacement, and provide clean energy via B6, B12, and chromium. The new Blackberry adds to our others of Citrus and Pomegranate, and are great in the morning or afternoon to deal with the sleepies. Check out our adorable Dr. Tanda Cook (Arbonne Independent Consultant and Holistic Health Coach) as she tells you more about the Fizz...

Reformulated Body Cleanse
Our Cleanse has also been reformulated! Formerly a liquid, it's now a powder. It has a lemon ginger flavor. Aloe soothes the gastrointestinal track, ginger supports healthy digestion, and choline supports liver function. As we know, the thing about Arbonne is that we are putting out supplements to support our organs of elimination, to continually eliminate those things that don't serve us. This cleanse is meant to be used along a whole-foods, clean eating plan, and is gentle enough to be used daily! Arbonne recommends using this quarterly to feel your best! Jump into our 30 Days to Healthy Living group and they will cover all of our nutrition supplements more in depth, and also teach you about why we eliminate those acidic, addictive, and allergenic foods!

Essential Oils
We've added two more Essential Oils to our line, Tea Tree and a Focus Blend. Many people were missing our Tea Tree shampoo from the intelligence line, but now you can simply add a few drops of the oil to your shampoo! Tea Tree Oil is also a great one ot use on acne and cleaning, and a range of other uses, as blogged about here. 

Our Focus Blend is for just that - getting things done. Diffuse this one, or place on your pulse points to be reinvigorated, and add to energy and mindfulness with this earthy blend.

Check out both of them on the video below, and just a note from me, our oils are in such large bottles that some from another brand - I'm talking 3 times as much fluid (0.5 vs. 0.17 fluid ounces) for a way more affordable price point! We also offer lemon, peppermint, lavender, and a harmony blend!

It's quite the lineup, right? I'd love to have you over to try out some of these new products! If you're local to Chicago, I will have a Healthy Happy Hour on Friday, May 4th, hope to you can join me! And some of my Preferred Clients have a free gift on their accounts now, so hope you are able to take advantage of that and try something new! Our Free Gift list has changed just a bit, so be sure to check out the new one below.

Be sure to keep up with me daily in my prive facebook group, weekly on Instagram, and of course here on my blog!

If it's Arbonne, or another brand, wishing you health, wellness, and happiness, friends!

xo,

Fave New Music

I've recently gotten a music upgrade with Spotify. It's social music. My little sister is making me playlists and I'm following playlists from my yoga teachers, I LOVE IT! And, discovering new music, too! If you don't have a Spotify, highly recommend. And if you do, let me know so I can come stalk check out your albums, too!

Here are some of my fave songs as of late...

Leave Right Now & Sweetheart, by Thomas Rhett

Light, by San Holo

You and Me, by The Hunna

Don't Call, by Lost Kings

Drink Up, by Train

Kinks Shirt, by Matt Nathanson

Sit Next To Me, by Foster the People

Mine, by Bazzi

What songs are you LOVING right now? Leave me a comment so I can add to my playlists!

Spoken Word Poetry Faves

It's National Poetry month, and in celebration of that, I bring you some of my favorite Spoken Word Poems!

All time fave - Poet Breathe Now by Adam Gottlieb. Part of Louder than a Bomb here in Chicago, here's a great reason to write, and share, poetry.

Touchscreen, by Marshall Davis Jones. While technology is wonderful in many regards, we mustn't forget those personal, face-to-face connections.

Knock Knock, by Daniel Beaty. Just heard this one for the first time today and it's powerful. Family connections and loss. Making the world a better place, and sometimes having to do that on your own.

What Teachers Make - a classic, a favorite since my first years of teaching. I'm sure students would love it too! Discusses what teachers make, and not necessarily money. And if you like Taylor Mali, check out this link for more of his work.

If I Should Have a Daughter, by Sarah Kay. Wishes from a mother, to her future daughter.

Three Ways to Speak English, by Jamila Lyiscott, a "trilingual orator." If you've ever been around someone who says with a negative connotation, "Oh, that's just how *they* speak..." this poem is for you. Code switching, and pride for all the ways we do that.

Complainers, by Rudy Francisco. You're having a bad day? Let's put that in perspective. Thanks Gorz for sharing this one :-)

Somewhere in America, by Brave New Voices. (Explicit language and mature content.) Three girls discuss the ironies of America.

I am not black, you are not white, by Prince Ea. Racism, or labels? Listen and you decide.

Lift Off, by Donovan Livingston. "Our stories are the ladders that make it easier for us to touch the stars." What are students meant to do? Donovan explores that in his address at Harvard's Graduation ceremony.

Trigger Warning, from four girls from Hinsdale Central High School. This poem is a dedication to the shooting in Parkland, Florida, performed in Chicago at the March for our Lives Rally. 

Just a few of my favorites, what about you? Leave me a comment with yours!