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I feel like my 29th year on earth has been one big intro to life in my 30’s. Somehow the universe has decided, “Hey, let’s throw every cliche at her, make it memorable, and make sure she is geared up for what 30 is about to bring. I have never been one to care about age- it truly is just a number to me, but recently I began to FEEL 30. And that is just overwhelming to me!

Some things life has thrown at me to boost me into 30 mode:

• Having a baby
• Dealing with PAYING for said baby (NICU costs a lot, guys.)
• Becoming unbelievably emotional
• Having aches and pains in my body from normal activities
• Experiencing a “restructure” of friendships- both loss and gain!
• Seeing more and more gray hair

The struggle is real over here, and as we get closer and closer to January and my 30th birthday, I am looking for more ways to take care of myself better. I don’t want to find ways to HIDE the aging, but more find ways to age more gracefully and peacefully. I want to share my 5 self care tips for thriving in your thirties, so I have partnered up with AGEbeautiful and Sally Beauty to share these fun tips!

5 SELF CARE TIPS- THRIVE IN YOUR 30’S

GET ORGANIZED

Life runs so much more smoothly if you have a plan. Whether you want to be like me and keep a detailed, running list of tasks, or if you want to take a more minimalist approach- that is your choice! Find something that works for you! If you want to become more organized, but don’t have a clue, you can always start with making a list of 3 tasks you want to complete for the day.

Here’s the key: STAY organized. Complete your tasks. Being organized works well with actually following through. You will have more time in your day, spend less time straining to think of all the things you should or could be doing, and crossing things off lists seriously releases endorphins and makes you want to remain productive as well.

LET GO

This one can be hard. It’s human nature to want to hold on to things- usually for longer than you should keep hold of them. If there are things in your house collecting dust, creating madness, not evoking joy, then let go of them!

You know what else this works well for? PEOPLE. It’s a little harder to cut those ties, but if there are people holding you back, creating madness, and that just don’t fit into your life anymore- let them go! It’s the most pure, helpful form of self care you can imagine. You’re in your 30’s now! Only keep what is most important in your life, including people.

SET & KEEP A BUDGET

I harp on having a solid budget all the time, but for good reason. My budget plan has helped my husband and me TREMENDOUSLY over the last year and a half. We have payed off over $20,000 in consumer debt (credit cards, medical bills, IRS ridiculousness, you name it!) We have a long way to go, but having a set budget and sticking to it gives us goals to work toward together and helps us to not have those “money arguments” a lot of couple fall into the trap of having.

You can check out my budget sheet here to get an idea of what you can do for your own family’s finances. (There is a free spreadsheet you can download!)

DEVELOP A HEALTHY ROUTINE

Healthy routines are so important, but can be rough to stick to. I think it’s because people usually bite off more than they can chew at first, so be sure to ease into routine! If you swap a healthy meal once per day for your take out, cut your portion size down, and start with 10-15 minutes of light exercise per day, you will be on your way to a healthier routine in no time!

If nothing else, be sure to get into the habit of drinking lots of water and adding in nutrient dense foods to your diet! Improving your habits one by one will lead to making healthier choices in the long run. You’ve got this! Do it for your own health, not for anyone else.

PAMPER YOURSELF

I’m not saying you need to head to the spa weekly or monthly (but if you can, that would be nice!) I am just saying to take 10 minutes and paint your nails, take 5 minutes and wear a face mask, or set an hour aside to cover those pesky gray hairs you’re really down and out about! I mean, just check out the gray coverage below with my before and after photos! It really can be uplifting to make just a little change to your appearance.

Generally, as we age, our hair shows 5 major signs of aging. You can experience loss of volume, manageability, color, moisture and shine. AGEbeautiful anti-aging haircolor is the first haircolor developed to fight all 5 signs of aging in your hair. After I use it, I REALLY do notice a significant difference in these areas, especially moisture and shine! You can check out my tutorial below to see how simple it is to use! (AKA Don’t be intimidated by it not coming in a box!)

STEP 1: Go to Sally Beauty to purchase your AGEbeautiful haircolor. If you don’t know which color matches you, the biggest tip is to go a shade lighter than you think your hair is. The people working there can always help match you as well. You’ll need to get either a bottle (for liquid) or a mixing bowl and brush (for liquid-creme, which is what I got.)

STEP 2: Mix with equal parts color and developer. The developer comes in 4 oz and the color is 2 oz. If you have long hair, buy 2 of the color tubes. Measure out the developer, then add in the color and mix it up!

STEP 3: Start with a patch test, then once you have determined your hair doesn’t react poorly, apply to your full head of hair evenly. You can apply conditioner or Vaseline around your hairline (on your skin) to create a barrier and prevent staining!

STEP 4: Follow directions on the bottle for how long your should leave on to develop your color, rinse, then style your hair as usual. You can then take time to admire that your hair is no longer showing signs of aging and is a rich, beautiful color!

Here’s the thing about all these self care items: do only what you want and do it at your leisure. Don’t feel pressure to do things just because they are suggested. It can be as simple or as complex as you choose to make it- just make sure you prioritize yourself! If you choose to start with covering those pesky grays, or just switching up your color, head over to Sally Beauty Supply and grab some AGEbeautiful! You’ll love it! 

Let me know your biggest self care hack in the comments!