There are so many awesome charities out there that are very worthy of our support. I suggest you research and find charities that resonate with you and donate time and or money when possible.
La Casa De La Madres is a charity in San Francisco that inspires me. In English, translated to the house of the mothers, this organization provides women and families dealing with domestic violence with resources such as shelter and support. They have a 24/7 hotline available to call or text if needed.
Funds donated to this organization goes towards food, employees salaries and also additional programs and resources like workshops and other must haves. There is a lovely play room and outdoor area for kids that could use some updating.
The residential housing provided is a safe and secure place for families to come to get their life together. The residents have weekly chores and responsibilities to help the house run smoothly. This helps the moms feel like they have a sense or purpose and can contribute to the household.
The mental health support is crucial and at times the counselors are so overbooked that they don’t get to help as many families as closely as they would like. Many of the women that come here have fled bad situations and need to feel safe and feel like they are important and valued. Many times they come from toxic relationships that are controlling and very manipulating. La Casa has counselors for both moms and their kids too.
This organization has been around since the 70s and has been extremely helpful to the community by helping these moms get back on their feet. They assist with looking for permanent housing and employment and help with getting on general assistance and food stamps. They also can connect families with legal aid to ask questions for the next steps.
For my birthday this year, I was honored to raise funds to support this organization. Here’s a link to donate if you feel so moved: https://www.lacasa.org/donate
I know each dollar will be used to help the families in the community that are hurting and so desperately need it.
A few years ago I learned the hard lesson that I am the only person in charge of me, myself and I. I used to blame others for hurting me and then used that as an excuse to be a victim. Since I reclaimed my power, I’ve done a few things to be happier. Here they are:
I stopped caring about what people thought of me. So many people told me I would not be a successful business owner. I was told I should just move back home with my tail between my legs and I’d be better off. I used this negativity to fuel my fire even more. I blocked out the haters and their negativity and surrounded myself with high vibing, positive people all learning, growing and improving together. These ladies became my tribe and my biggest support. I got really picky about who and what I spent my energy on. One of my favorite mantras is Go where the love is.
I made it a habit to mind my business and make sure I’m good with my Creator. My circle got smaller but my relationships with people got to be more richer and fulfilling. I started to pay attention and be more present than ever.
Something else I made sure I did regularly was honor my alone time. Usually in the mornings I enjoy quiet time with a nice hot, fresh cup of coffee and pray, meditate and say my gratitudes.
I started making more time to do more fun things alone and with my son. I love my dance classes and made it a point to dance more even around my apartment. My son loves dancing too and sometimes we dance together. He’s a pro at flossing which is not my specialty. We started having a regular family night and put it on the calendar together. We play board games, paint and watch movies and find more fun things to do together that we both like.
Whenever I'm feeling low energy or just drained, I find things to reenergize my soul. One of my favorite things to do is spend time in nature. I love the water, especially the beach and whenever I can get away even if it’s a few minutes to breathe in the salt water air and listen to the waves, I feel a million times better.
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Working from home for most of this year definitely had some challenges. In the beginning things were quite chaotic with trying to navigate distance learning and working from home. Even 8 months later it can still be a challenge to get all the things done.
One thing that I did to help create some consistency and stability was start a morning routine.
The very first thing that I do after I wake up and check the time to make sure I didn’t oversleep (let’s be real) is say my gratitudes quietly to myself. I like to say them before my feet touch the floor. This simple time to pause and reflect keeps me grounded and connected to my Creator. Every morning we wake up is a gift and I never want to waste it.
Next in my routine is get the coffee maker and diffuser going while I watch my mentor Martha Krejci on YouTube to get motivated and inspired with some direction for the day. Most days I grab my notebook and take notes. Coffee in a big mug with half and half is my favorite. And in the diffuser I choose oils depending on how I’m feeling. I usually choose a calming and focus blend.
After my dose of Martha, I check in with Crystal, my team leader and partner in business to see how each of us is doing and feeling. If we need to shift some shiitake we might talk about it or we might work on shifting it. Then we chat about what’s on the agenda for the day. We have a bunch of events every week so it’s important to stay on top of it.
By this time it’s usually around 8:30 am so I wake up my little one to get up in time for school. This boy loves his sleep and I try to be creative in waking him up. He always gets kisses and snuggles and sometimes a song. He absolutely loves his morning tickles. Once he’s up I give him a piggyback ride to the living room. He picks how he gets to school everyday. Someday it's a rocket, submarine, jeep in a jungle safari or race car. This part of the routine is ending soon though because my back!
Then it’s time to log on to school for him and work for me and off we go to have a great day.
Do you have a morning routine you do? Anything from my routine you liked that you want to try out??
If you loved this, you might like to get my free guide 5 Ways to Keep Calm. You can grab it right HERE
No, don’t worry this isn’t an infomercial or anything close. I’ve just been contemplating it since it's almost the end of this year and on to the new year. Last week we celebrated Thanksgiving and sat there as an overstuffed turkey from all the food and I couldn’t help but be so filled with joy and gratefulness and feeling just so so so blessed.
Gratitude is the one thing that I have found that shifts negativity or low frequency feels to positive and high vibing. A dear friend encouraged me to try gratitude years ago but I wasn’t ready to work on myself so I would just roll my eyes. This year more than ever I find myself saying my gratitudes first thing when I wake up and before my feet touch the floor in the mornings. I see and feel a big difference in myself and how I show up for my family and community. Attitude and mindset are everything and I love starting each day on a positive foot.
What are some things you are grateful for? I’m so grateful we have our health and can be active and move. I'm so happy and grateful we live in a state that has decent weather all year long with sunshine on most days. Damian is always so full of energy and I am so grateful he’s a happy boy for the most part. He does have his passionate tantrum moments and we are working on shifting those times more together. I’m also grateful to be a better parent this year- less yelling, more loving. More present. It’s definitely not perfect but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m so grateful for the time we’ve gotten to spend this year even though it’s been interesting navigating. I’m grateful for my support system and most importantly my Faith and spiritual life.
There are definitely things I could complain about that happened this year, but it doesn't do any good in my opinion. In fact, it just kills the vibe. I’ve worked at putting my energy and attention on what I focus on. Things that are positive and growing deserve our attention more than ever.
Today, December 1st I’m starting the Glittering Gratitude Challenge. I'd love to have you join me if you want to give this gratitude thing a try for yourself. Everyday for 30 days share a post or video on your social media and tag me with something that you are grateful for. I’ll be going live in my Blissfully Healthy Ladies Facebook Group everyday too and would love you to join us in there if that feels good you are welcome! I’m so grateful for all the support I receive and look forward to give back and help others too.
As a busy mom, time is very valuable. I’m always looking for ways to save time and money. Something that I noticed is that I always feel a little better when I feel more put together. I don’t do my makeup everyday. My style is laid back, comfy and cute. I love my leggings and comfy tshirts and hoodies. I’ve been staying home during the pandemic and enjoying not having to dress up in business casual attire.
I can find a few minutes, I can lock myself in the bathroom if I need to and put on my face. Sometimes I even do this in my car when it’s warming up if I need to go somewhere.
If you only have 1 minute to spare, I would recommend moisturizing your skin. I love my Art Light Moisturizer. Skin is the largest organ in the body and we need to stay moisturized. A couple of other ways to keep skin healthy is to make sure to drink a ton of water and get enough sleep.
If you only have 2 minutes, I would recommend moisturizing the entire face and put some color on the lips. Different colors can make it fun and be an easy way to express yourself. Sometimes I’m feeling a cutesy pink, other times a hot pink or even a bad ass dark red color. I use either lipstick or lip gloss or sometimes a lip gloss over my lipstick for extra color and shine. Play with different color combinations and have fun!
If you have 3 to 5 minutes you can put on foundation and or some concealer and eyeliner and mascara for eyes. I put my foundation first and then concealer to cover up any blemishes or dark eyes. Then I line my eyes and add some mascara and I’m done.
Just like any other products you use, it’s super important to know what ingredients are going to be on your skin. Most of my makeup is clean and made without chemicals or other harmful ingredients. Just like anything, you get what you pay for. Makeup that is high quality will last longer because it’s made with more care and top quality ingredients.
Check out this video on my YouTube channel to see how I do my 5 minute face step by step tutorial.
