Hi Jule The Bee community! I’m Lauryn Evarts Bosstick from The Skinny Confidential – a blog, a brand & a podcast. I’m so flattered to be on Jule’s blog today to share my top 10 life hacks. 

We were introduced by our friend Ingrid de la Mare-Kenny (who is fabulous). Ingrid raved about Jule & told me I had to meet her & that I would absolutely love her. When Jule was featured on Julie Lauren’s podcast Hashtag No Filter, I immediately fell in love & started watching her Instagram Stories. After watching Jule, I saw she had a real gift of connecting with her audience on a fun level. She doesn’t take herself too seriously, & she gets it. She’s smart as a whip, she’s fucking funny, & she’s totally someone I would hang out with in person if we lived on the same coast. 

BUT, we actually did hang out in person. We met at The King Cole bar in New York City. As I was sipping on my Aperol Spritz filled with lemon (not an orange fan), she insisted I try dry champagne in it instead of prosecco so it’s not so sweet. I fell in love with her all over again. I’m super excited for today because we’re sharing life hacks. I hope each of these hacks brings you value in some way. 

With that let’s get into it… 

1. Get on board with facial massage.

Facial massage is an on-going theme on my blog because I’m obsessed. I had double jaw surgery a few years back. It was very intense. I was so inflamed – I seriously looked like the Nutty Professor, just look at the pics. I had to get really creative with techniques and one of the best things I found was facial massage. It made all the difference. In fact, I don’t know what I would’ve done without it.

THE CRAZY AMAZING ADVANTAGES OF FACIAL MASSAGE:

♡ increases circulation

♡ you get a natural facelift

♡ all skin care products will absorb better

♡ prevents fine lines & wrinkles

♡ it will make skin appear more youthful/younger !!!!

…OH & it feels fucking GREAT- lymphatic drainage at its finest guys.

I like to apply a little oil & move it around in circles. I take the massage down my neck & sometimes down to my chest to really get the circulation going. We’re all about the lymph system over here. It totally depuffs & contours. Plus, it just feels good.

You can do this with tools or with your hands. My all time favorite is a Clarisonic Smart Profile Uplift, but it hurts the bank account. It’s worth it in my opinion, but I totally understand what it’s like to be a babe on a budget. So here are some how-tos for doing it at home:

GUA SHA TOOLS

Gua sha tools are great for babes on a budget. If you aren’t ready for a big investment, then gua sha tools are the perfect addition to your skin care tool box.

When doing this at home, the key is to always work from the inside of the face then go outwards. And ALWAYS scrape UP, never down. Don’t ever pull your face down. This is so important, I can’t say it enough.

It’s also CRUCIAL to drink water after any kind of lymphatic drainage. You want all those toxins to come out in your urine. Buh-bye.

Make sure you use an oil with your gua sha tools, too. You can use any kind of oil. My favorite is a rosehip oil, always cold-pressed. Elemis’ Superfood oil is also fab for this.

Gua sha is de-bloating, de-puffing, detoxifying, and it’s anti-aging. The list goes on.

WITH YOUR HANDS & OIL

This is one of the cheapest & best ways to do facial massage, especially if you’re just getting into it & wanna test it out first. It may seem intimidating, but once you start doing it every day, it’ll become second nature. Before you know it, your skin will be right, tight & glowy every single morning. Actually, I filmed a video where I show you EXACTLY how I do facial massage with my hands. It’s quick, easy, efficient, straight to the point & something you can even do with me. You’ll learn how to zigzag on your forehead, how to use your index fingers under your eyes, & de-bloat the jowls. Check out the video here.

2.) Do the Ivy Lee method. 

This is a method that I’ve kinda been doing for as long as I can remember. I feel like it’s really helped me grow my business, & it’s also helped me turn my house into a home, helped with wedding planning & even helped aspects of my personal life.

You should know that this method is one you’re supposed to do at night (my husband, Michael does it at night so he can sleep on it), but I do it in the morning. Either way works, it just depends on what type of person you are. Michael is a super early riser so that works better for him.

Ok so, here’s the story:

By 1918, Charles M. Schwab was one of the richest men in the world.

Schwab was the president of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, the largest shipbuilder and the second-largest steel producer in America at the time. The famous inventor Thomas Edison once referred to Schwab as the “master hustler.” He was constantly seeking an edge over the competition. 

One day in 1918, in his quest to increase the efficiency of his team and discover better ways to get things done, Schwab arranged a meeting with a highly-respected productivity consultant named Ivy Lee.

Lee was a successful businessman in his own right and is widely remembered as a pioneer in the field of public relations. As the story goes, Schwab brought Lee into his office and said, “Show me a way to get more things done.”

“Give me 15 minutes with each of your executives,” Lee replied.

“How much will it cost me,” Schwab asked.

“Nothing,” Lee said. “Unless it works. After three months, you can send me a check for whatever you feel it’s worth to you.”

During his 15 minutes with each executive, Ivy Lee explained his simple daily routine for achieving peak productivity:

1. At the end of each work day, write down the six most important things you need to accomplish tomorrow. Do not write down more than six tasks.

2. Prioritize those six items in order of their true importance.

3. When you arrive tomorrow, concentrate only on the first task. Work until the first task is finished before moving on to the second task.

4. Approach the rest of your list in the same fashion. At the end of the day, move any unfinished items to a new list of six tasks for the following day.

5. Repeat this process every working day.

The strategy sounded simple, but Schwab and his executive team at Bethlehem Steel gave it a try. After three months, Schwab was so delighted with the progress his company had made that he called Lee into his office and wrote him a check for $25,000.  

A $25,000 check written in 1918 is the equivalent of a $400,000 check in 2015. That’s in 1918, guys!
The benefit of The Ivy Lee Method is kind of like time-blocking. You focus on one task ( if you haven’t tried time-blocking, get on board ), & it allows you to focus on your priorities so you don’t get caught up in the riff raff.

I write down my 6 tasks in this notebook & you know I’m writing this out with my favorite pen in the world. Anyways, these are other major benefits of The Ivy Lee Method:

♡ It’s simple, so it actually works. All you need is paper & a pen.

♡ Makes you prioritize. 6 is the magic number here. Don’t overwhelm yourself with 20 tasks- only write down 6.

♡ Takes the guesswork out of ‘starting.’ How much time do you waste ‘thinking’ about what you should do first? When you have a prioritized list, it’s clearly laid out in front of you.

♡ It makes you SINGLE-TASK. You guys know I’m all about multitasking, but focussing energy on one thing at a time is also hugely important.

♡ It can encourage a healthier work-life balance. As an entrepreneur this can be really tricky so anything that helps is welcome to be honest.

To sum it up, this productivity hack helps with concentration, productivity, keeps you organized, & allows your brain to marinate on what you’ve done.

3.) Eat more pasta.

I’m a huge fan of pasta, sourdough bread (specifically with Kerrygold unsalted butter), chocolate croissants & carbs in general. So anything that can help me hack the carb system is my best friend. So here’s the hack: I buy a fiber-filled pasta. I like this one because it’s got protein & is made of only 3 ingredients: cauliflower, green lentils & parsnip. We love minimal ingredients.

Whenever I eat pasta at night I feel so heavy & bloated, HOWEVER, this doesn’t stop me from eating it. So what I started doing is cooking a 1/4 cup of pasta & doing the rest veggies. So I’ll do shaved Brussels sprouts, or zoodles, or kale, & cook it with the pasta. This makes you feel so full but also helps you get your veggies & nutrients in. Of course I top it with Rao’s Arrabbiata sauce, lemon, chili flakes, & basil. It really feels like you’re getting a whole Italian dish but with half the carbs, half the calories, & double the nutrients.

TSC hot tip: when you’re cooking veggies, add them closer to the end when the pasta is half cooked. If you overcook your veggies it ruins the nutrients. I like to cook them a little bit but not too much. Like we don’t want a brown veggie situation, you know what I mean?

You can always mix it up by adding different herbs & seasonings too. I did a big post on spices/herbs so check it out to get some flavor combo inspo here. Some things I like to add are Italian seasoning, lemon, oregano, & like I said, fresh basil is always delicious. You can also mix up the sauce- try a pesto or butter lemon sauce too. There are so many ways to have fun with this hack.

Anyway, this pasta hack saves you on carbs, doesn’t make you feel bloated before bed & is a fun way to still enjoy your pasta. This is also a great hack if you have children.

4.) Drink more water…effortlessly.

HYDRO FLASK- one of my favorite finds of 2018.

They’re efficient, perfect for the girl on the go, easy to use, easy to clean & a BIG PLUS is they keep your water FREEZING cold for hours.

Here’s the best thing about the Hydro Flask – it makes you drink waaaaay more water. My water consumption has gone up like crazy. Like, I drink at least 3 liters now because of it. This is kind of a big deal because if we’re being honest, I was only drinking about 1 liter before I had a Hydro Flask.

When I wake up the first thing I do is meditate with Headspace. I’ll sit there & drink my freezing cold water with lemon that I prepped the night before – feel free to add a sprig of mint & some pomegranate seeds. My first sip is freezing cold & it’s so perfect because the integrity of the ice is maintained overnight.

After my meditation I just refill the bottle with water & lemon, maybe a pinch of Himalayan sea salt & I’m good to go for a few hours- since it’s 32 oz. ( You could also go with the 40 oz. but it’s like… really big. )

If you’re going to buy one of these, you HAVE to also buy the lid that has the straw in it. THIS is what will make you drink a ton of water.

This isn’t some flimsy straw that breaks. Plus, this lid actually comes with 2 straws- you know, just in case. The straw is amazing.

The straw is key if you’re lazy in bed, or on the couch, & you just wanna lay there & gulp water with the bottle hanging down. You don’t need to pick it up & tilt it. I hate lifting my arm- it’s so annoying.

Also, you need a straw cleaner which comes with the straw lid- it’s the ONLY lid you need.

OTHER HYDRO FLASK BENEFITS:

♡ keeps cold drinks cold for 24 hours

♡ keeps hot drinks hot for 12 hours

♡ made of BPA free stainless steel

♡ vacuum insulation stops condensation

There are 2 ways I like my Hydro Flask- & of course I’m very specific about it:

The first way is a 32 oz. white situation with a hot pink lid. The other way is a hot pink bottle with a baby blue lid.

Lastly, if you want to manipulate your bf or husband into drinking more water get one in blue, like I did. Fill it with ice & water then leave it on their nightstand. Works like a charm.

5.) Read every day.

Reading is one of my & my husband’s favorite pastimes. It’s really the perfect way to wind down at night, calm the mind, & learn something new. With all of the traveling I’ve been able to get through some INCREDIBLE books. Reading is something that really got me through my mom’s death. It’s something I could focus on that was outside of myself. 

I’m a huge bookworm & I try to read for 30 minutes a day at least. Reading keeps you interested & interesting.

Here are some of my best recommendations to get you started:

The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday

I read a page of this book every day & it’s been truly life-changing. ( >>> If you get the book, be sure to start on the exact date, & not the first page of the book. ) It takes 5 minutes & I like to write notes under each paragraph. It’s taught me to have incredible perseverance, wisdom, & made me realize that I can’t control outside forces- I can only control my reaction to them. It’s helped my EQ.

Sidenote: a little tangent on EQ ( emotional maturity & intelligence ) >>> it all comes down to self-awareness & for me, thinking time. Thinking time to sit with my thoughts & observe my reactions. Some signs of EQ are:

♡ can hear a different opinion or viewpoint without becoming emotionally reactive.

♡ able to set boundaries & say no without extreme guilt.

♡ understands that perception is reality & accepts perceptions of others without trying to change them.

♡ can be vulnerable when hurt.

♡ can sit in undistracted silence with self.

♡ takes full accountability for behavior- does not seek to blame.

♡ finds humor & light heartedness often.

♡ does NOT view gossip as connection.

Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis

This is my favorite book that I’ve read all year. I’m trying to convince anyone & everyone to read it. It’s the autobiography of Anthony Kiedis who is the lead singer of The Red Hot Chili Peppers. This book is so beautifully written that you truly fall in love with Anthony Kiedis. Out of all the books listed here, I would start with this one. It’s so good because it shows you every facet of his life – a horrendous drug addiction, living on the streets, all the women he’s been with, inner workings of the band, & why he is the way he is. If I ever write a memoir when I’m like 50, I hope it’s as beautifully written as this one. It’s probably one of the best written autobiographies or biographies that I’ve ever read. & that’s saying a lot because I’m an autobiography whore. It’s such a great story of the world of rock, success & excess.

Everything About Me is Fake & I’m Perfect by Janice Dickinson

Janice Dickinson is something else. After listening to her on a podcast recently I immediately had to know more. She is raw and unapologetically herself. I mean just look at her book title, Everything About Me is Fake & I’m Perfect. Get ready for a juicy read about modern culture from the woman who claims to have coined the term ‘super model.’ I loved her other 2 books too. Funny enough, I read them while recovering from a boob job years ago ( LOL ). Anyway she’s funny as hell.

6.) Micromanaged skinny margarita (because that’s important).

To preface this situation I want to say that I used to be a bartender. There’s an occasional DM about how I shouldn’t be micromanaging the bartender. ( Side note: I was not only a bartender but I worked in the restaurant industry for 10 years. Started as a hostess when I was 14, went on to cocktailing for like 4 years, & then bartended for about 4 years. When people used to know what they liked, it made my job easier. In fact, I embraced someone who knew what they wanted- I considered it a challenge to sharpen my bartending skills.

Here’s the thing: I know what I want. I’m specific. Just because I know what I want doesn’t make me a bitch. Also you can count on the fact that I am always kind. I say “please” & “thank you” and always tip 20% or more. There’s no rude micromanaging going on- just specific directions for what I like. Personally, that’s how I believe you get what you want in life, you know? You ask for it. Direct, straight to the point, communication. Kindness is obviously important but there’s nothing wrong with knowing EXACTLY what you want.

Anyway, back to the margarita. This weekend I made these at home & added a splash of POM (pomegranate juice) with some fresh pomegranate seeds. However, THIS is what I ask for when I’m out on the town:

THE SKINNY CONFIDENTIAL MICROMANAGED MARGARITA:

+ 1.5 ounce blanco tequila

+ 1 ounce of Cointreau ( use Triple Sec if this is unavail )

+ limes ( tons )

+ a little lemon

+ a speck of agave ( like a fucking SPECK ! )

+ option: 2 squeezes of a grapefruit or even pomegranates

+ half rim of salt, always

+ use a lime to rim the glass & then add salt to only half the rim. In a martini shaker add 3/4 fresh lime juice, one squeeze of lemon, then add Cointreau ( or Triple Sec ), & tequila.

 rule of thumb:when making a cocktail, start with the cheapest ingredients first & finish with the most expensive last. Add ice to shaker ( you don’t want the ice to melt into your ingredients, so do this last ). Add ice to rimmed glass & shake and strain your cocktail over the ice. Garnish with a grapefruit slice or lime wheel. GET NAKED WASTED.

Ask for what you want & you shall receive. 

7.) Lose 5 lbs in 5 minutes.

I’m constantly confessing my absolute, undeniable love for spray tans. Here’s the thing: I’m very much about looking like a sun-kissed goddess ( I wish? ) but not into the fake & bake Snookie, season 1 look. Yes, yes you guys know I avoid the sun like I avoid Jury Duty but really I cannot stress it enough: LAYING IN THE SUN IS SO BAD FOR YOU. SOOOO bad for you. It’s one thing I can say I’ve researched until I am blue in the face. Really though, it’s so aging.

If you’re reading this & you’re 15 or 21, lucky YOU! Stay out of the sun to preserve your youth, skin, & avoid skin cancer. Be that girl who wears a cool hat to the market, gas station, & post office. The more your face is out of the sun the better.

Anyway, we got off on a tangent there, BUT as much as I hate the sun, I still like a pretty glow.

And that is achieved by spray tans. I spray tan 3 times a month. It works well for my lifestyle & keeps my skin out of the sun.

Spray tanning is one of those things that can turn out absolutely amazing & provide a slimming effect or it’s a shit show & you end up resembling an Oompa-Loompa. It is an unbelievable solution for when I want to give off the illusion that I “dropped” a cool five pounds. I go nuts for a Mystic Level 3 with violet tones. I feel like violet tones really bring out the whites of my eyes & teeth.

SOME QUICK TIPS FOR AFTER A SPRAY TAN:

♡ Always make sure the tanning product is by Versa Spa or Mystic Tan.

♡ Exfoliate/shower (shave, loofah and scrub your face & neck- the Clarisonic is fab for this) pre-tan. SHAVE too.

♡ Remove all lotions, make-up, & jewelry before the tan.

♡ Use the barrier cream on the insides of the hands.

♡ Slap on Sticky Feet to protect the bottom of the feet.

♡ When spraying is complete: wash hands, wipe off your feetsies, & pat the rest of the body dry with two towels.

♡ The neck area needs extra patting.

♡ Keep the spray tan solution on for at least six to seven hours before a shower.

♡ Do not wear white clothing after the tan.

8.) Use this lip mask as a lip gloss.

Everyone is always worried about wrinkles on their face, chest & hands, but not their lips. Your lips are so important. I feel like I’m always drinking out of a straw, so this is very much necessary for me.

The cool thing about this Laneige lip mask is you put it on before you go to sleep and when you wake up, it’s still on. And I mean it REALLY stays on, guys. I also use this as a lip gloss during the day- it makes a great primer to use under your lipstick.

It smells like a mixture of raspberries, strawberries & cranberries and has tons & tons of antioxidants and vitamin C. It also has hyaluronic acid and minerals so it allows for a slow release of moisture over the hours that you’re asleep. You seriously wake up with these plump, soft, pillowy lips.

It comes with this cute little applicator spoon to apply it too. So what you do is, take this little spoon and apply it on your lips before you go to sleep, wake up, and wipe it off. If you had any dryness or flaking on your lips before bed, you won’t in the morning. I promise.

I don’t wipe it off when I wake up, I just keep it on- but that’s just me. We’re a little extra over here. I also leave a 20 minute face mask on for 2 hours. Anyways….

BASICALLY, THE THINGS I LIKE ABOUT IT ARE:

♡ it’s going to completely moisturize your lips.

♡ it stays on your lips overnight.

♡ it will make your lips feel the softest they’ve ever felt.

♡ it’s pink & has super cute packaging- you’ll want to keep it right next to your bed, beside your Woo.

 It feels like a lip balm but thicker, but it’s NOT sticky.

9.) Chocolate-stuffed raspberries for a late night treat.

This is perfect to leave out on the kitchen counter for instantly satisfying a sweet tooth. My grandma was delighted whenever I presented her with this nectarous treat.

All you do is take some fresh raspberries & stuff them with some dark chocolate chips or white chocolate chips. Not much else to say here except they’re easy, delicious & somewhat healthy because you’re getting some fiber from the berries & antioxidants from dark chocolate. Enjoy!

10. ) Batch tasks with a timecube.

 Meet the little sucker that keeps my life together.

Michael introduced me to time-blocking when he saw that I was trying to do more than one task at a time. Pretty much, it would take me just as long, if not twice as long to complete a task because instead of doing ONE THING, I’d do ten. Hmmm.

With time-blocking, you do one thing for the amount of time of your choice.

For instance, I will only spend 30 minutes a week cleaning out my closet. 15 minutes showering. 10 minutes on makeup. 1 hour, 3 times a day on e-mail. You get the drift.

TIME BLOCKING HELPS YOU MAKE SMART CHOICES IN REGARDS TO:

♡ Priority of each item

♡ Time required to complete each item

♡ How much time is available to work on each item

I start with my most important tasks first, ALWAYS. I wake up & immediately make a list of SEVEN, only SEVEN priorities for the day, every day. I’ve been going with lucky number 7 for the last year & it’s really worked for me. The number 7 came from Richard Branson who said he sets 7 goals to complete for the day, every day. This provides motivation to follow through with the commitments listed.

There are really no cons here. It just works.

The time cube I like is found here.

Thank you so much for having me, Jule & her incredible community. Hopefully we’ll do more collabs in the future. In the meantime, find me on Instagram & check out Jule’s post on TSC here.

All illustrations by @courtneycoloring