And The Nominees Are....

Deciding to stay at home with the children was a huge decision. I have worked ever since I was on my own, and prided myself on being independent. After leaving high school and going into college, I realized the world was a tough place. They really don't prepare you at all during your four years in high school. I was accepted into Pace University and attended for a few months. College was completely different from what I was used to, but I was excited for the change. I was excited to meet new people and most of all I was just excited for the whole experience. That was until I got that first bill. I got the list of books for ONE of my classes. I needed to get at least 2 of the books on the list, so I did what any freshman would do. I went to the bookstore. $115 for one book! Are you freakin' kidding me?!? I thought to myself, how the heck am I supposed to get through these 4 years? Forget that. How the heck was I going to get through this semester? Needless to say, I could not afford college. So I did what any person in my shoes would do. Move out of the state. Ok, that may have been a little extreme. But guess what, my leap of faith paid off. That first year I was on my own in Florida I got a job, learned how to drive, bought a car, enrolled in Massage Therapy school and graduated. How's that for an achievement?
1. Have you always wanted to be a writer?

A Moment of Clarity Please!

Lately I feel like I have had so much on my plate. I am busier now, than when I was actually working a traditional job. Seriously. But my busyness is of a different nature. I am now busy with my own projects. And that feels really good. I am finally doing something for ME. It kind of feels like I am a completely different person. Even though I stay at home now with my 3 pain in the butts wonderful children, I feel more independent. More determined. But, in the midst of feeling this way, I found myself struggling with how to manage it all. It was all becoming pretty overwhelming.

Back in the day (lol, I say this like I am some old folgie. "back in my old whipper snapper days..." ok, ok, i'll get back to my story now) I used to meditate. I tried to make it a point to sit for at least 10 minutes a day just to get some peace of mind. Get some clarity. Relax. You know, just basically try to be in the moment as much as I could because I knew that it reaped some huge benefits to take that time out for yourself. But I realized that it has been WAY too long since I have done any of that. So I needed to make some time for myself. Sit and meditate.




I suggested my husband do the same too since he has been really busy working on projects. He has been really good about trying to juggle everything, but I could tell he needed a break. It was time. We BOTH needed to take some time out of our busy day and give some much needed attention to ourselves. We needed to do some de-stressing to our minds. And so after I got Little Man to finally go to sleep, my husband and I found a nice comfortable spot on the floor in our room. The nice Tibetan relaxation music was playing in the background, and we meditated for about 20 minutes. I am sure my husband just sat there with his eyes closed and took a mini nap. It's ok though. This time was for US. To do whatever it was that our body/mind/spirit needed. I focused on good intentions. In my mind I repeated the words: peace, trust, integrity, respect, gratitude.





These are the five principles of Reiki. So when I meditate, I try to repeat these words in my mind along with my affirmation.  I have never really shared this with anyone until now. Maybe this is something you need. Maybe there is a reason why I felt so moved this morning (3am) as to write this and share. Whatever it is, take it and be grateful that it was given to you.

Here is my affirmation:


*who HIM is, is completely up to you and your beliefs

Taking that time out to recharge my mind and spirit was so helpful. It helped me focus on what needed to be done. It gave me the clarity that I needed to really figure out how to go forward with my projects. It gave me a sense of peace, which is always a great thing.

Today I feel determined. I have all these ideas rushing through my head. I am sure that is why I can't sleep (that, and the cup of coffee I was craving late in the day. Don't judge me). It's like I have opened up the flood gates. I am ready to tackle whatever it is that is presented to me.

So, this is what I do to bring me back to my "center". Sometimes you need to clear your mind to actually see what needs to be done. Some days will be hectic. Some days will be calm. The important thing is that I take that time for myself to figure things out. To make sense of everything. It's a work in progress. My life is not quite ZEN...but I'm working on it.





Oh, and feel free to use my affirmation and tweak it if you need to. Let me know how you use it in your day to day. What do you do get clarity?

Teaching the Importance of Being Kind

Showing your children the power of kindness is something that will stay with them forever. We, as parents, strive to raise our children to be respectful, intelligent, loving and kind. I am sure we can add 100+ more things to that list, but today we are going to focus on the "kind" part.




Many people are so busy going through their day to day in their hectic lives that they forget to pay attention to their surroundings. Children see how their parents interact with one another and people they come in contact with everyday. Because our children are living sponges, it is so important that we saturate them with positivity and good morals. One thing that I try to teach my children is the importance of how you treat others and the impact your behavior can have.  Previously, I wrote about Paying it Forward and how wonderful it can be to perform random acts of kindness. Doing something nice for someone can affect not only their lives, but yours as well.  Let's show our kids that being kind to one another and having compassion is contagious. Just imagine the kind of world we can live in if everyone taught compassion.



Any act of kindness, no matter how big or how small, will have an impact.  Here is a list of some random acts of kindness you can do with your children or they can do on their own:

• Hold the door open for someone
• Write a "Thank You" note and put it in the mailbox for the mailman (or lady)
• Give your grandparent a call and tell them about your day
• Donate outgrown clothes or toys 
• Make friends with the new kid at school
• Bake a batch of cookies or cupcakes for the neighbor or a family member
• Make "Get Well Soon" cards and hand them out at your local hospital
• Bring a meal to a family in need
• Leave a nice note in a library book
• Volunteer at your local church or animal shelter

• Bring an apple for your teacher
• Put a dollar behind a childrens toy at the store
• Give someone a compliment
• Help your little brother or sister with their homework
• Help your mom with the dishes
• Do your chores without being asked
• Write a nice letter to someone telling them how special they are
• Leave chalk messages on the sidewalk
• Help someone load groceries into their car
• Donate extra school supplies to you classroom

I am sure this list can go on and on. Sit with your child and see what fun and creative things they can come up with. They may just surprise you.  Children learn what they see. Let them see the power of kindness. Let's help them make the world a better place.

Getting everything back on track (Phase 1)

Ok, so these past couple of weeks have been CUH.RAY.ZEEE. I have had so much going on that I had let a lot of things slip by because I just simply did not feel like dealing with it.  But it is time I get on it. It is time I focus on the important stuff. Not to say that the other things I have been preoccupied with were not important. But I feel like I have been trying to focus on 50 million things at once. As a result, things that I held at the top of my priority list have been pushed to the side.  But really, no more.  In order for me to be successful in these other endeavors, I need to master, or at least fix, what I had started from the very beginning,

The main reason why I decided to stay home was so that I would be able to fully focus on my family and home.  That is what my husband and I felt was most important.  So, for this week I decided that I would focus on the house.  Actually, let's make that the next two weeks (just in case I encounter any "bumps" along the way).  So for the next two weeks I will be spring cleaning our home. I mean really go all out and clean EVERYTHING (or at least that is what the goal will be).



There have been too many times I have put off for tomorrow, what could have been done today.  So no more. I will begin my spring cleaning today.  I think once that is done, I will have a new sense of clarity. This will really help me focus on things that really need my attention.  I know I have mentioned it before, but I am a new Jamberry consultant.  So in order for my business to grow, I really need to set goals for myself and really create a plan of action.  I always find that it is better and easier to make these types of plans/decisions when you have a clear mind.  So by me doing a little (or a lot) of spring cleaning, it will help me get that much closer to my goals.

First things first; Figure out a plan of attack! I am going to start in my living room. It's the room you see first when you come in. So this needs to be first on my to-do list. Hopefully Little man will be on board with my plans and actually let me do some cleaning.




But so far it doesn't look like we are on the same page.  Wish me luck.

Have you ever done a spring cleaning to your home? What are some tips you may have?