A is for Action: Day 6

Happy Monday! 

Did you do your homework and come up with one, simple action item that you are going to do every day this week?  This week I'm going to kiss my hubby and kids ten times in a row every morning.  It's so easy to get caught up in the frenzy that is family and parenting.  In the big scheme sleepless nights and husbands who leave socks on the floor (ahem!) are just blips on the radar.  Gotta show love and live life now!  

With the idea of living life now and taking action lets talk triggers-specifically triggers that cause you to not take action.  We all get stuck in ruts.  Some folks use these ruts to propel them into action and change while others, like me, just dig ourselves further and further into our cozy rut when triggered. What triggers you to walk further and further away from action and making change?  Fear? Finances? Food? Lack of sleep? Getting hung up on gossip and buying into the nonsense?   Too much internet/TV/smart phone time?

Identify some key triggers in your life that derail you and start to think about ways to try to avoid them.  I know if I don't get enough sleep I'm more likely to feel down, which makes me want to sit on the couch, which means I watch too much TV, which means......you get the picture.  For the record, I never believe you 'fall off the wagon' and should just throw in the towel when you are on your path of action and change.  Sure, you have have slipped up but don't let that define you!  I just know that I MUST put myself to bed every night at a reasonable time and even if that means 7:30 pm. End of story.

One final thought with the idea of triggers.  Think of little children.  If they don't get enough sleep, eat too much sugar, don't get to run around at the park, watch too much TV, don't get some play time either with other kids or a grownup, or get too much stimulation they freak out.  They can't handle it and they spiral out of control.  Why would we think the same rules don't apply to us as adults? 

Bussi, Bussi!

A is for Action: Day 5

Happy Spirit Sunday Darlings!

You have an assignment and not a 'oh my goodness the last hours of my glorious weekend and I have dreaded Algebra to finish' type of assignment. Quick. Off the top of your head. Come up with ONE positive thing you can do each day this week to make your life better. Kiss your loved ones 10 times each day? Call a new job recruiter every day? Wear lipstick? Take the stairs? Skip the latte and put the $$) in savings? Go to bed earlier? Say something nice to yourself?

The simple, possibilities are endless

Bussi, Bussi!

A is for Action: Day 4

Happy Weekend Darlings,

When I used to teach at University I used to tell my students on the first day that while studying and taking good notes are important the most important thing to do is to just show up.  If you show up 75% of the battle is done.  This is an important lesson for our month of action.  Somedays it's tough and golly I'd love nothing more than to just hide in bed and pull the covers over my head.  But what is worse?  Facing what needs to be done even if it's painful/arduous/expensive or waiting on the sidelines with that inevitably wretched feeling of "I'll do it later"?  Remember.  Showing up is 75% of the battle. 

Bussi, Bussi!

A is for Action: Day 2/3

Happy Friday Friends!

Isn't ironic that I promoting a month of action and I missed a day of blogging?!  The day got away from me and I thought I'd post after the kiddos had fallen asleep but I ended up conked out.  Oh well.  Better to get enough sleep and stay healthy I say!

By accident this ended up being appropriate because I want to focus on where I/we are at this very moment in our life journey.  The idea struck me when I was listening to the latest podcast at Our Hen House.  The guest Rory Freedman was talking about her animal activism and how it had shifted from being aggressive to acknowledging where people are in their journey.  It got me thinking that it is so important to realize that you are at a particular 'place' in your life today (good or bad) and that is OK.  If you choose not to take full stock of where things stand how can you come up with an action plan?  On a personal note I do not meditate, I don't believe in fate or Karma, I think manifesting destinies is a crock, and I do not believe that we are in this world alone.  I do believe that life has many chapters, journeys, and paths and that choices have consequences.  I also believe in personal responsibility, in self-love, in hard work, and as best as possible acknowledging where you are today with zero judgement.  It's perfectly OK to say "I'm starting from a place of being broke or rich/thin or fat/hating my job/needing a career change/loving my job/hating my life/loving my life/my life is a complete cuss-storm".  Again, take full stock.  And let me throw this out there too.  If you look at your list and it's all negatives find one thing that is working well now.  I'd bet the farm that you can find at least one thing that is working even if it's "My jeans today are awesome".  Make a list, start a journal, make a home-video.  Something.  Let me close with this too.  It's not all hopeless.  Now that you've taken stock, drag your butt over to the mirror, look at yourself, and say something NICE out loud.  Seriously.  It can be "God my life stinks but at least my butt looks awesome in these jeans".  Excellent.  Now we can act.

Bussi, bussi and I'll see you tomorrow.

“As a doctor, let me tell you what self-love does:
It improves your hearing, your eyesight, lowers your blood pressure, increases pulmonary function, cardiac output, and helps wiring the musculature. So, if we had a rampant epidemic of self-love then our healthcare costs would go down dramatically. So, this isn’t just some little frou-frou new age notion, oh love yourself honey. This is hardcore science.”

—

Dr. Christiane Northrop

A is for Action: Day 1

 

Darlings!

Happy May Day!  I have very fond, childhood memories of leaving baskets of flowers on neighbors porches.  In this crazy world I hope someone, somewhere hasn't lost that spirit and left a little spring cheer for an unsuspecting recipient.  Hopefully spring has sprung where you are and if you happen to live in an area where it's snowing right now (!?!?!) the best advice I have to offer is to put on something bright and hope for the best. 

We are WAAAAAAY overdue for a challenge lovelies.  With the idea of spring in the air I'm dubbing May "A is for Action" month.  My original intent was to talk about "discipline".  However, it had such a negative connotation in my mind and when I looked up the definition it said "The practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience.".  Yikes.  Sure-I'm chubby, broke, my self esteem could use a serious kick in the pants, my style is non-existent, I'm working a butt grove in the couch, and overall I need to shake off the winter cobwebs but punishment?  Sheesh.
No thanks.

Action is defined as "The fact or process of doing something, typically to achieve an aim".  I'm a process person and firmly believe that it's often more fun than the final destination so action it is!  This challenge was conceived and born a few weeks ago as a result of two light-bulbs that went off in my mind. 

1. Many of us is, ME INCLUDED, sit around and air our grievances but do nothing to fix said complaints.  Sometimes its a way of letting a little steam off the ol' life train and that's great.  But, my ol' life train keeps singing the same tune and I'm tired of listening to myself.  It's beginning to feel like a rut.  Get me out!
2. I am of the opinion that when you are feeling low from said grievances that you buy into a bunch of nonsense-either physically with your bank account/credit card or your thoughts and soul-and that's lethal.  Lord knows how much C-R-A-P I've purchased or thought in a moment of Self Esteem meltdown.  I'm not sure if you can ever be 100% immune but it's worth building up your defenses.  The tipping point for me was last week when watching TV. There was a clip on The Today Show about building self confidence for women and the only advice these two female 'experts' gave was to strike a power pose, put on stilettos, and lipgloss.  Seriously?!  Rock it if that's who you are but why pretend to be someone you aren't just because you are feeling blue?  I'm all about 'fake it until you make it' but not like this.

I say Basta.  It's time to start living, to find ways to have fun, to set goals in a attainable way that are specific to YOU and your future, and to shake-a-leg. 

Put this idea of "Action" and "Process" in your cooker and let's see what we come up with this month.  As they say in the show "Lady in the Dark":

I say to me every morning
You've only one life to live
So why be done in?
Let's see the sun in
And gloom can jump in the river
No use to beat on the doldrums
Let's be imaginative, each day is numbered
No good when slumbered
With only one life to live

Bussi, Bussi and til tomorrow........

Berry Bowls and Bucket Lists

Dear Friends!

First let me begin by saying my thoughts and prayers are in Boston. What is there to say? It's a shitty world and thank God for grace and compassion.

I wanted share one of my go to breakfasts that takes no time to put together and is perfect for Meatless Monday. Sometimes not eating animal products can seem daunting because traditionally they are center stage on the plate. I like to make berries the focus when it comes to breakfast (hello antioxidants and low glycemic deliciousness). When you fill the bowl with berries just throw in some cereal of choice (Grape Nuts), some extra seeds and nuts for an extra boost (ground flax and mixed nuts) and top with your favorite milk (I'm talkin' to you Vanilla Soymilk!).

In other news, today is a big Bucket List Day! I'm a "Background Artist" (extra) on a major motion picture overnight today AND I just signed up to run the ING NYC 2013 Marathon with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Team! What!? Not sure how I'm going to make it on no sleep tonight but I feel like I should go buy a lotto ticket!

Bussi Bussi Lieblings and wishing you a buon evening!

Naturally Beautiful...packaging???

 

Dear Lovelies!

We have all heard time-and-time again about the dangers of chemicals in beauty products and that since our skin is very absorbent it pays to be vigilant.  I've read these articles, understood them, and yet I still slather "Chemical Shit Storm" on my skin.  It wasn't until I was talking to someone about the price of filler, packaging, and production cost vs. retail cost that I paid attention.  A good friend who works in graphic design and has his own production company of home goods (in addition to other fantastic beauty and fashion companies up his sleeve) was telling me about someone who had a boyfriend who needed a hobby.  This guy decided to sell lipstick, came up with a product, some sleek packaging, and the lipstick retailed at a high-end department store for $38.  The lipsticks were mass produced so there was a discount on the packaging and filler.  The tubes ended up costing around $3/piece.  Guess how much the filler was.  FORTY-SEVEN CENTS!! What?!

I almost fell over.  Now I'm intelligent and realize that marketing and especially marketing in beauty is key.  We'll pay extra for a brand name and buy into a pitch just to feel better about ourselves.  I know I can't afford a designer bag but I can scrape enough money together to buy a brand name lipstick.  A small piece of the luxury pie is mine.    But that is a high price to pay to slather FORTY-SEVEN CENTS worth of crap on my face.  Now, I'm not trying to knock an idea and I most certainly appreciate and respect the work that goes into production, especially by the folks who own their own companies.  There is a lot of creativity mixed with blood, sweat, and tears.  It's incredible to see the behind-the-scenes work and I will always support my friends.  But, I'm am so much more cautious now about what I buy and really what is going on this body. Funny that it took being fleeced by packaging for me to see the light.  

This revelation was the driving force behind my goal this month-to start looking for companies with their OWN product and filler line, products that are more natural, and 'cooking' up my own beauty treatments.  I will probably never go totally rogue and stop using products on my face all together.  (Let's be honest-a nice lipstick is sometimes the only thread keeping it together for me some days).  But, in this crap economy I want to the most and BEST bang for my buck.

Whose with me???