I started my own business in April 2018 in the natural health and wellness industry. I was nervous and scared but excited and ready to take on this new chapter in my life. I couldn't wait to tell my best friend at the time. She was in fact the very person that told me about the fluoride in toothpaste and the aluminum in deodorant. She taught me about burning palo santo and sage. I thought she would be proud and excited for me and I hoped she would be on board. I met her when I was 19 years old on Maui as coworkers. We hit it off and were instantly inseparable for 2 years before I moved to San Francisco. She even moved to the mainland a few years later and lived with me in San Francisco for a few months several years before my son was born.
I remember one of the last conversations with her. I had just listened to her rant and rave about something for half an hour. My company had an extremely good deal and I just wanted to tell her about it in case she wanted to take advantage of the price cut. Before I could finish my sentence she totally cut me off. I don’t wanna hear it! She screams at me and continues to go off. Oh okay no worries I try to stammer out and hung up. I was shocked that she acted that way, but more importantly that conversation made me decide that from that point on I was not going to be quiet and I was not going to stop believing in my truth and purpose. I didn’t speak up for myself during that conversation but i wish i did at that time. From then on i made a decision that I would speak up for myself and not let anyone try to dim my light. That experience because it made me so much stronger. This was also when I decided it was time to take a look at who the key people were in my life and if they should continue on that way or if it was time to cut some cords. Cutting her out was difficult but knowing that I could and I would continue on without my best friend empowered me. She was the first of several people I distanced myself from and I'm so grateful for it. I’m so much stronger now. I’m speaking up for myself and others more and I’m serving my tribe daily. I’m also much more protective of my space and energy and who I give that too. I am surrounded by loving and strong females who see my worth and remind me that I am imperfectly perfect and that’s totally okay and we can do life together hand in and hand without any judgments. I feel seen and heard and excited for what’s to come because i'm choosing to shine my light for no reason and help others.
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By far, the best thing that ever happened to me was becoming a mommy. The moment I found out I was pregnant my whole life changed. After hearing Damian’s heart beat at the first doctor’s appointment, I had a renewed purpose and frankly a reason to live again. I got chicken skin knowing this sweet and precious human depended 1000% on me to survive. Part of me felt like I wasn’t worthy. I didn’t feel ready to become a parent. I didn’t plan for it to happen the way it did, but I always knew that I wanted to be a mom and I knew this wasn’t just an accident.
I felt really alone. My best friend at the time told me that I could get an abortion and say I miscarried and thinking about that just broke my heart. I wanted so much for my son’s dad to be there for me and he tried, but he was struggling with his own demons. I think a part of me hoped that having a baby would bring us closer together. I wanted my family to be with me too but because they’re in Hawaii it wasn’t feasible at that time. Thankfully and gratefully I insisted on having a doula for support. Jenn was amazing and walked with me every step from before delivery, to during giving birth (she literally showered me down in the hospital room for what seemed like hours) and checked in with us after Damian arrived. I’m forever grateful that I had the natural birth that I wanted for me and my son.
When I became a Mom I realized how powerful I truly was. I survived a rough pregnancy alone, pushed a 7 lb baby out naturally and left the man that I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with. After Damian was born the lessons showed up more and more. Lessons of patience, gratitude, trust, faith and the importance of a positive attitude were becoming obvious to me. It was almost like a mirror to show me what I needed to work on for myself to then teach my little one. But the most precious treasure from all of this was now I would experience first hand what unconditional love is: Loving someone who is imperfectly perfect just for being who they are and vice versa.
My goal is to raise my son to be an honorable man who is well respected in the community and serves others. I’m so grateful that I have a little partner in crime to go through life with and I’m excited to see what’s next for our family and how we can help a bunch of families too.
When there’s chaos all around, it may seem impossible to keep it all together. Thankfully there’s a better way to live mindfully and with purpose and intention. Check out this video for a few of my tips and then read the rest of this blog for more tips and my calm roller bottle blend recipe that has helped me stay sane. This is a blend you won’t want to leave home without. It has helped me stay cool as a cucumber during some uncertain times.
Just Breathe
Cue the Faith Hill song. Many times when I feel anxious or uncertain, my breathing becomes shallow or I may even hold my breath without even realizing it. Make the decision to breathe consciously and mindfully. Take a deep breath in through the nose for 4 counts and breathe out through the mouth like you’re blowing out a candle for 4 counts. Repeat a few times. This always helps me feel better.
Get Active
When I’m feeling stressed out, I find that getting into my body with movement helps my mind stop from having to work so hard. Going for a walk or getting up to stretch can be so beneficial. A great practice is to get a few steps in every hour to keep from being too stationary. Aim for half an hour to an hour of physical activity on most days. Even a 15 minute workout is better than nothing. Find an activity that you enjoy so it doesn’t feel like work. For me, I love yoga and dance and find online classes to attend. It is definitely more fun when friends are involved.
Stay connected to your people
Sometimes during a trying time I retreat and isolate because I don’t want to feel like a burden to others with my emotional baggage. But I find that when I isolate sometimes it can be more harmful than helpful. Isolation can lead to a dark and hopeless place. It’s important to stay connected to trusted people that remind you of your greatness especially during the low times. reach out with a simple phone call, text or email. Another great way to stay connected with your people is to attend events either online or in person when possible. There’s power in eye contact with another human being that can empathize with no judgement. These are YOUR people. This goes full circle too. It’s a good practice to check in on loved ones too. Sometimes the strongest people seem like they have it all together, but it’s always good to check in and just make sure they’re doing alright.
Take time outs when needed
There is nothing wrong with putting yourself on time out. As a mom, I usually put my son in time out when he’s acting out, but I realized that by putting myself on time out before I get to my wits end has been so helpful. There’s a few ways a time out could look like. My favorite place to take a time out is nature. Getting outside for some fresh air could be just the thing to switch up the energy. If getting outside isn’t an immediate option, I have locked myself in the bathroom to cry and get my emotions out in private. Either way you take a time out, I find taking care of it before the point of no return is much better than exploding at a loved one without meaning to or saying something you may regret later in the heat of the moment. Sometimes self-care is not pretty but there’s no shame in taking a few moments to yourself to get refocused and re-centered.
Gratitude practice
Waking up everyday feeling grateful for a new day is very powerful. When you generate a feeling of gratitude in the morning your day is set up for success. Gratitude puts you on the same high frequency of the laws of abundance and attraction. It also reminds us that we are humans having a spiritual experience on this earth and that everything we have can be taken away just as quickly as we received it. When we practice gratitude, we can’t be angry. I believe that a gratitude practice keeps us connected to the Creator and grounded at the same time. Ever since I started my own daily gratitude practice, my life has improved drastically. I am more aware of the good around me which seems to make even more good appear around me.
Now are you ready for your free calm roller recipe?Just really fast, first I want to quickly first I want to invite you to join my exclusive Facebook group. If you’d like more info about topics like this and more, I’d love for you to join my group of amazing and empowered mamas all working on our health and wellness together.
The link to join is: https://bit.ly/AHMBHL
Ok here you go- here is my Calm Roller Recipe just for you, just like I promised:
10 drops Lavender
10 drops Valor
10 drops Frankincense
Place oils in a 10ml roller bottle and top with the carrier oil of your choice. Apply to the wrists, shoulders, behind the ears, along your spine and perhaps over the heart for a wave of relaxation.
.I hope you found this helpful. Sending lots of love and don't forget to join the group here ----->https://bit.ly/AHMBHL
Get enough sleep. Get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep so your body can rest and repair itself to function at a high level. I used to stay up late to get work done after my little one went to sleep but now I find that I get more done in the morning when he’s sleeping. I also feel better when I get my sleep in. I’m usually in bed by 11 or 11:30 at the latest where before I would stay up until 2 or sometimes 3 in the morning.
Eat a colorful diet. When you eat a variety of fruits and vegetables in different colors you will be nourishing your body with much needed vitamins and minerals. Fruits are the real fast food. Way faster than drive-thru or microwave even. It takes about a minute to peel an orange and less than thirty seconds to peel a banana. Carrots are high in beta carotene and help maintain good eye health. Oranges are a good source of Vitamin C which studies have shown boost the immune system.
Do the things that you like to do and make you happy. Ask yourself what you would love. If you love outdoors, go explore a new hiking spot. If you love art, make a new piece. If you love reading, find a new book. Life is too short to be unhappy. I know most of us are busy and always on the go. I find when I remember to have fun, laugh and do something I love I feel better and the more happy chemicals made in the body and sent to the brain the better.
Thieves all day. This essential oil blend recipe was based on the 4 Thieves Vinegar from the time of the Bubonic Plague. A group of thieves somehow managed to stay healthy even when death was all around them. They escaped being held captive by sharing their secret. They stole herbs and spices from the dead and then would then create a mixture to use topically and internally. My son and I both rub a drop of thieves oil on the bottoms of our feet before we put our socks and shoes on everyday. From time to time we will get the sniffles or a slight cough but the recovery and bounce back time is so much faster now.
I hope this blog was helpful for you. If you liked these tips, join my Facebook group for more info. We are a high vibe group of empowered women all working on our health and wellness together.
Being a busy mom means that meals that are healthy and quick and easy to make is soooo important. There are other fast options for breakfast but they may not be healthy for kids. Pop Tarts and sugary cereal are quick to make in the morning but they are not the best options before a school day. In our house we like to make smoothies for breakfast or sometimes for an afternoon snack. It’s fun to mix and match with different fruits and veggies we have on hand and let the little ones pick out their favorites to make different blends and see which is their favorite. I love how no additional sugar is needed when making this and the best part is that kids can help make it too by adding the sliced fruit in the blender and pushing the button. My son gets a kick out of it everytime. This is super easy to make and takes less than 10 minutes. You can even save some time by prepping your fruits by slicing them and putting them in the freezer so they will be chilled and already cut in smaller pieces to go when it’s time.
Here’s our smoothie recipe. Feel free to swap out the fruits with your favorites or with what you have on hand. I prefer to use fresh or frozen fruits but if you only have canned fruits on hand this will work as well. Just be sure to drain the juice as the fruit is sweet enough already.
1 cup of kale or spinach
½ cup strawberries
½ banana
½ mango or oranges or apples
½ c of blueberries
½ c of almond milk or water
½ c greek yogurt
½ cup of mango frozen or fresh
½ tsp of honey or agave to sweeten
Optional Toppings: Sliced almonds, coconut flakes, chia seeds, whipped cream
I put all the ingredients in my magic bullet blender or any blender and blend well. Keep blending until the fruits and vegetables don’t have any chunks and has a smooth texture. You can also add more greek yogurt or almond milk if needed. On a hot summer day I will blend all of the ingredients until most of the chunks are almost gone and add some ice cubes for a nice frozen touch. It is soooo yummy and refreshing.
What are your family favorite smoothie blends?? Would love to hear from you in the comments below. Did you give this recipe a try? Take a pic and tag me on social media and use the hashtag #AHMSmoothie.
I hope you liked this blog post, if you did, you may be a busy mom just like me working on your health and wellness. If so, I’d love to invite you to grab my free guide “5 Ways to Keep Calm During Uncertain Times” right here. I hope it helps you and your family.
