Originally featured on Kalista Beauty 07/21

Whether you’ve sprained your ankle, pulled a muscle or are simply dealing with aches and pains, there’s always the debate about whether to use heat or ice to get the most relief.

Both heat and ice are able to alleviate pain, and both help to minimize discomfort and pressure around injuries or aching body parts. This can make it even more confusing to know when to apply heat versus ice.

In an effort to help you live your best, most pain-free life, I’m going to break down how heat and ice therapy work and give you some general guidelines that will help you decide which is best for your issues.

As always, I’m not a doctor, so this isn’t medical advice! This is just your neighborhood Mom Friend offering to clear up some confusion. If you have chronic pain, medical issues, or think you might have really injured yourself, please go see a doctor!
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Originally published by Belle Kalista Beauty on 04/20

Every time I go to the grocery store or run inside the gas station for a drink, I see some new, fancy-looking water. First, it was sparkling water. Then it was electrolyte water. Then it was water in compostable boxes or recyclable cans. Then it was dozens of different flavors of plain and sparkling water. I’ve even seen caffeinated water.

The list of ways that brands try to sell us water is outrageous, and it seems to never end. Most recently, alkaline water has been added to that list. You’ve probably seen the claims about how its detoxification properties help with energy and weight loss, or its ability to neutralize your blood helps to keep you healthy.

Before you spend $4 on a bottle of seemingly magical alkaline water, let’s talk about what it is and what it can actually do.

(Spoiler: It can’t do much. Let’s talk about why!)

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Originally featured on Belle Kalista Beauty 07/2021

Confession time: I am a sweaty person.

I don’t have hyperhidrosis (a medical condition that makes you incredibly interferes-with-your-life sweaty). I just sweat more than the average girl would ever want to admit.

This means that I have tried (almost) every deodorant and antiperspirant in existence. If you had told high school me that I would one day no longer rely on antiperspirants, I would have hysterically laughed and thrown an extra stick of Clinical Strength Secret into my purse just in case.

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Originally featured on Belle Kalista Beauty 12/2020

Hello everyone, I’m back to talk about my hair some more. (Don’t worry, this is about your hair too, I promise.) My journey to healthy, cascading Mermaid Hair has been full of stops, starts, and struggles, much like my journey through adulthood in general.

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Half moon pose is one of those yoga postures that I struggled with and hated for years until I finally realized two things:

1. I was doing it wrong.
2. I have really short, T-rex arms, and that’s okay.

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