Cultivating a deeper relationship with God

Happy Sunday! It is the first Sunday of the month and we are super grateful to God for Life. He has been faithful to us and continues to show us His abundant love each day. Today we are all about cultivating a deeper relationship with Him. God is our father and we approach Him through Jesus Christ who died for our sins 1 Peter 3: 18… “For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”

God is inviting us to a relationship with Him. Not only should we ask God to supply our needs, we need to spend time talking to Him, fellowshipping with Him, just as we would with a friend. Here are ways to cultivate a deeper relationship with Him:

  1. Talk to God anytime, anywhere: God is omnipresent, everywhere. He is not restricted to a building. God isn’t far away from us and is always ready to help us. Talk to Him throughout your day, tell Him the seemingly insignificant and the grand things, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalms 46:1

2. Pray and read the Word: Praying and reading the Word of God help us build a personal relationship with Him. Doing so helps us build an intimate relationship with Him, He speaks to us and we also get to know His will for our lives; living victoriously as Christians.

3. Listen to God and obey Him: God speaks to us, we should pay attention. He speaks in a still small voice, 1 Kings 19:12, that convicts us. We should also obey Him because listening is not enough, we need to take action and therefore, see results.

4. Surrender all: Surrendering our lives to God is a continuous process. Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” God can be trusted, He is all-knowing and has a great plan for our lives. Be honest with Him as He already knows how we feel and what we are thinking.

5. Avoid comparing yourself to others: Our relationship with God is authentic to us. We should resist the urge to compare ourselves to others. They may be more eloquent, more knowledgeable but it’s not a competition between them and us.

Self-care Saturday: Laugh therapy

How is your Saturday going? Today we are all about laughter. When did you last have a good laugh? A famous proverb states, “Laughter is the best medicine,” Not only does laughing make you feel good, it also relaxes your body and boosts immunity by decreasing stress hormones and increasing the immune cells. Here are some ways to bring more laughter into your life

  1. Find humor in life: Be intentional about laughing more and sure enough you will find something to laugh at. If say, as you go about your business, you find a funny situation, laugh and carry on. With time you will find yourself spotting more funny situations all around you.

2. Engage or follow funny people online: There is so much comedy online, now more than ever. Laughter is very relaxing, especially after a long day.

3. Read a funny book: If you are more into reading, get comic books or those that have some humor incorporated into the storyline.

4. Laugh at yourself sometimes: It’s never always that serious. When you make a mistake, you can laugh at yourself. This reduces the tension brought by the mistake and you will be able to rectify it when less stressed.

5. Do more of what makes you laugh: Be with people and engage in situations and activities that make you laugh more often. This will make you happier.

Ruth Yole’s Kitchen: For the Love of Food

”Food brings people together. It makes people happy. My goal is to create cheer through the food and cakes we serve,” says founder and chef Ruth Yole.

Ruth Yole’s Kitchen offers a delicious variety of cupcakes and cakes, ranging from sponge cakes, moist cakes, healthy cakes to rich cakes. Sponge cakes include vanilla, lemon, strawberry and chocolate. Moist cakes include black forest, white forest and passion forest cakes. Healthy cakes include carrot and zucchini cakes. Rich cakes include coffee, chocolate fudge and fruit cake.

Their cakes are affordable, ranging from 1400/= -2000/= a kg. Cupcakes at 100/= each. There is something for everyone’s palate.

Ruth Yole’s Kitchen also offers outside catering services. They provide food for picnics, showers, weddings, graduations and even anniversaries. Their menu includes; rosemary potatoes, breadcrumb chicken and even traditional delicacies.

“I have always loved cooking since a very young age,” says Ruth Yole. “I would help my mom out in the kitchen and when I started my business, I used some of her tins when baking”

The entrepreneurial journey has been adventurous, sometimes challenging but rewarding. According to Ruth, the key is to keep learning new things, experiment and keep marketing your products. “You will always be your best marketer,” she says.

Everyday Beauty products worth spending on

Happy new month! Today is Beauty Tuesday and we are super excited to share about everyday products worth spending a little more on. This makes a whole lot of a difference when it comes to great skin and overall hygiene.

Good quality soap: This doesn’t mean it has to be ridiculously expensive. You need soap that cleans but is also moisturizing, one that does not strip your body of all the oils. Soaps containing honey, milk, coconut and even olive oil among other oils are great for your skin.

Sunscreen: This protects the skin from harmful UV rays. Don’t compromise on quality when it comes to sunscreen. You can also buy a moisturizer that has sunscreen infused in it.

A good deodorant: This goes without saying, good quality deodorant goes a long way. Different deodarants work differently on different people, it is therefore important to test and find out what works best for you.

Eyeshadow: When it comes to beauty, get good quality eyeshadow that is pigmented. This will last you a long time. Eyeshadow is made of minerals so when you get a good one, expect longevity from it.

Hair conditioner: Buy one rich in nutrients, it’s worth the money. It is important to have a conditioner that is very moisturizing, therefore protecting the hair from damage.

How to Create a Better Work Environment

 Happy new week and happy last day of the month. Can you believe that January is over? Well, today we are all about our work environment. Whether you are going to your place of work every day or working from home, these tips will come in handy.

1. Personalize your workspace: Bring in some household items like photo frames, your favorite mug, that help express your personality. Creating a more personal and familiar workspace helps create a relaxing environment.

2. Organize your workstation: Your surrounding affects your state of mind, so decluttering and making your space more organized is very important. Allocate different folders for different files, for example, labeling them accordingly. A clean and well-organized environment enables you to work more efficiently.

3. Take breaks: It is important to give yourself breaks to allow your brain and body in general to rest. You can take a walk and even hit the gym after work, to refresh yourself.

4. Maintain a work-life balance: It is important to ensure that you spend an appropriate amount of time at work. Overworking too often can lead to you despising your job and has detrimental effects on your body. When you spend an appropriate amount of time away from work, you are able to appreciate it more. Relax, spend time with family and loved ones and even indulge in your hobbies when you are not working.

5. Hydrate and snack: It is important to drink plenty of water and take snacks to give your body the energy it needs to be productive.

The Abundance mindset

Good morning and happy Sunday! It is the end of the week and we are so grateful to God for the week that has been and the end of the month. Today we are talking about an abundance mindset, an overflowing, more than enough mindset.

John 10: 10 is a verse that is well-loved, “ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” In Jesus, we have an abundance of life, which we should receive, claim and live in. It’s our portion as children of God. The devil wants us to live in scarcity, kill and destroy our hopes, dreams and purpose. He hates progress. Let us agree with the Word of God about abundance this year.

The pandemic may have caused havoc, we may have lost but as Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” God was well aware that it would happen. I believe we have learned a few things, our character has developed even further, shedding a few things along the way and gaining others. May we walk in victory this year, knowing that we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37), with an abundance mindset.

Prayer: Thank you God for the gift of today. Thank you that you have great plans for me. Help me to always agree with what your Word says, that I have an abundant life in Jesus. Help me to claim it and live it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

2022 Fashion Trends

2022 is here with us and so are fashion trends. Today we are going to share our picks, some are not so new, others are back with a bang.

1. Bright colours: These are in this year, red, orange, pink, neons name it. Satins, sequins and crystals are also huge this year.

source: pinterest
source: pinterest

2. The black dress: The black dress is here to stay whether it is the little black dress or a voluptuous one. Rock it and own it this year.

source: pinterest
source: pinterest

3. Playful outfits: T-shirts, hoodies, shirt dresses with cartoon characters and smiley faces are in vogue. Unleash your inner child with these pieces.

source: pinterest
source: pinterest

4. Stripes : These are very trendy this year. From pinstripes, to multicolored and monochrome ones, rock your stripes in 2022.

source: pinterest
source: pinterest

Grit and Glamour: DIY Beauty products

“I believe you must bring your whole self to the table if you want to thrive in today’s online world; your personality, your sense of humor, and most importantly, your drive,” says Grit and Glamour founder Maryann Wamburu.

Grit and glamour founder: Maryann Wamburu

Grit and Glamour provides trendy Do It Yourself beauty products which are beginner-friendly, user friendly, travel friendly and achieve the same glam but with a DIY feel! Their main products currently include Magnetic Lashes, Press On Nails and Russian Style Lash Extensions. All these are products that can be used by anyone in the market. They vary in design, style, shape and color.

“I started Grit and Glamour before the pandemic, but back then we used to deal with human hair wigs and bundles. We shifted into easy-to-use beauty products as we learnt what our customers really needed. So far it’s been an amazing journey being among the few businesses that provide high quality magnetic lashes.

Maryann believes in being genuine in her endeavors and giving her very best. Being a former runway and fashion model, she saw a gap where she’d really struggled to find simple makeup products, especially lashes. She had such a hard time with the gluey lashes hence she sought to find something simpler and faster to use and still have that glam sparkle.

“Grit & Glamour Ke is truly my own little passion project, gaining more and more traction each day.

Our vision is to grow and add to our products list items that are user-friendly and pocket-friendly at the same time. We also accept DIY makeup products ideas that we can add to our collection to help every woman out there.

Behind the scenes Maryann is a Drone Pilot, you can also reach out if you need any aerial content.

Follow gritandglamourke on Instagram.

Our favourite baking hacks

Today we are all about baking and sharing our favourite hacks with you.

  1. Use spice to elevate your baked dishes: This goes without saying, spice adds lots and lots of flavour to savoury dishes. Spices like cinnamon and ginger, for instance elevate sweet dishes to another level. The trick is to add 1 tablespoon of spice per kg of cake.
  2. Use a sieve to sift flour: This not only incorporates air into your flour but helps prevent the formation of lumps. A metal sieve is ideal and will last long.
  3. Use your grater for all things sweet and savoury: The grater is one of our best friends in the kitchen. Not only is it great for grating carrots, tomatoes and ginger, it is also perfect for making chocolate shavings for finishing a chocolate cake.
  4. Add baking powder to all-purpose flour instead of using self-raising: Cakes rise evenly when you do this.
  5. Read through your recipe before you begin baking: This may sound obvious but it is very helpful to do this, so that you enjoy the process even more. Preparing your ingredients before you begin baking helps a big deal.

Beauty Tuesday: Making the most of your perfume

We are all about fragrance today. Smelling good is essential and also lifts our spirits. Here are five ways to make the most of your perfume.

  1. Apply perfume directly on the skin: After taking a bath and moisturizing, it is important to apply perfume immediately when the skin is still moist. Your scent will last longer when you do this.
  2. Apply perfume on the most warm and moist parts of your body:  Inside the elbow, back of knees, chest and sides of the neck are the best places to apply your fragrance. Your body heat will diffuse the scent.
  3. Layer your scents: Do not be afraid to layer scents if you so wish. You can layer complimentary fragrances. It is advisable to do this with subtle fragrances. However, do not layer big scents as they could be overwhelming and could give you a headache.
  4. Do not rub fragrance into skin: Doing so will cause the scent to fade and evaporate. Fragrance should mix with your natural oils, undisturbed.
  5. Apply fragrance on your clothes: The secret to this is to ensure that the outfit is not going to be stained by the perfume and that you can wash it.