Q: Why did the little shoe cry?

A: Because his mommy was a sneaker and his daddy was a loafer with only a penny to his name! 

https://jokojokes.com/loafer-jokes.html

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Humor is important to remember especially during the holidays which can be stressful. According to a recent survey by the American Psychological Association  31% of adults say they feel more stressed in the 2022 holiday season (Adacia 2022, Americans are more stressed this year, poll says). If stress has you tied in knots, later in the blog, Lisbeth Joe will share practical wellness tips that can help reduce tension. 

Lisbeth Joe would like to introduce the barefoot London loafer which is offered in 3 colors: brown, leather print, and black. They are crafted from the softest nubuck and feature an elasticized rim.  These leather barefoot shoes deliver luxury, style, and comfort. 

There are numerous ways to style loafers that accompany any occasion.

Lisbeth Joe will offer several options to help you find the best style to flaunt your new loafers.   

Loafers work with denim.  For fun events around town, they are versatile with jeans and a blazer or a sweater featured here:

Loafers can offer a relaxed look. If this sounds familiar to your style, pair Lisbeth Joe  loafers with a chic t-shirt and relaxed jeans when you meet-up with friends to sip hot chocolate or need to throw together a look for a casual day at the office. 

Loafers compliment dresses and skirts.  For a fancier occasion, it is possible to be both stylish and comfortable at the same time.  With the barefoot London loafers, comfort is manageable when wearing a dress or skirt. Loafers can be styled with longer dresses. It is also fashionable to wear minimalist loafers with skirts of varying lengths (Bell 2022, How to style loafers for women: 8 outfit ideas to wear at work and the weekend):

Loafers match dress pants. If you're experiencing a frigid winter in the United States, pants may be a favorite staple until warmer weather returns. Fitted velvet dress pants can be paired with a checkered black & white blazer and Lisbeth Joe black loafers for a polished look shown here: 

If stress tends to add heat to your body, consider a simple sleeveless black top, fitted khakis, andLisbeth Joe loafers to complete your look and to help keep your cool. After the office party or family gathering ends, take time to enjoy a favorite pastime like reading to prioritize your needs and destress. 

With these wardrobe options, Lisbeth Joe will close today’s blog by sharing some guidance to help manage stress. Since more people are experiencing stress than in 2021, “self-care is a priority during stressful times. With other people, establishing boundaries will ensure you honor yourself and your time to avoid over-committing or being around family or colleagues that challenge your patience” (Adacia 2022, Americans are more stressed this year, poll says). 

During the holidays, it is important to stay grounded in realistic expectations instead of a picture-perfect ideal.  Psychology Today offers advice rooted in self-care that can help make your holidays enjoyable:

• Prioritize sleep (and naps if you can) especially as physical, mental, and emotional energy can be depleted during times of heightened stress; 
• Honor your time and needs and consider having a pre-arranged time to leave family or office functions (for example, 1 hour of visiting can be much more manageable than staying the entire time at a gathering);
• Be mindful of what brings you joy and engage in that activity whether a walk, a movie, a bath, etc. You deserve it! (Guttman 2022, How Self-Care Will Make Your Holidays Feel Better)

Mindfulness is a technique to continue practicing into 2023 as it offers robust benefits on physical and mental health. Mindfulness can reduce anxiety, fight depression, and improve cognitive abilities (Humanitas University 2022, 12 Science-Based Benefits of Meditation).  Calm is a highly-rated meditation app that offers daily meditations, video shorts, and other tips to encourage people to calm the mind as an act of self-care. While there is a paid platform, there are numerous free videos on YouTube. If you’ve never tried a breathing bubble, this is a zero cost resource that is a soothing visual aid that guides you to focus inwards on your breathing along with the backdrop of nature sounds. It takes less than 1 minute and is effective at work or home using your smartphone/computer.  Add your earbuds and no one has to know you are practicing mindfulness!