Category: M I N D F U L N E S S

10 Steps To Simplify Your Home And Office

July 5, 2018 3:00 AM July 5, 2018

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As I get older it becomes more apparent how many things we purchase with no specific need in mind. Although I can see it happening, for some reason, it seems…

As I get older it becomes more apparent how many things we purchase with no specific need in mind. Although I can see it happening, for some reason, it seems impossible to stop! 🙈🙃 Today we are talking about ways to consciously simplify life at home and the office. Baby steps, if you will, towards living the minimalist lifestyle.

5 Steps to Simplify at Home

Empty out and organize your handbag or wallet.
Empty out and organize your Junk Drawer.
Thoroughly review your book/cd/dvd collection and downsize.
Minimize stacks of paper by switching to paperless billing and recycling old magazines.
Clear off ALL the horizontal surfaces in the room, one room at a time.

How Do I Decide What to Keep?

Ask yourself these 5 questions:

When was the last time I used this?
(If jt’s been more than 9 months – donate).

What is the worst thing that could happen if I donate this item?

Can life go on without this item?

Could this item be MORE useful to someone else?

Does this item bring joy to my life?

5 Steps to Simplify at The Office

Take the time to organize all the files and photographs into proper folders on your computer.
Unsubscribe from email lists that no longer interest you (or entice you to purchase more 😈).
Work to minimize the number of tabs you have open at any given time.
Create a follow-up email folder to keep you organized and on top of your tasks.
De-clutter your work desk.

These steps are only the beginning but at least we’re stepping in the right direction. 👣

How did you go Minimalist? Let me know below.

xo,

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How To Invest When You Feel Like Your Broke

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May 24, 2018 3:00 AM May 24, 2018

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I’m at the point in my life where I know I should be saving, planning for the future – yet I’d prefer to spend my money on a new life…

I’m at the point in my life where I know I should be saving, planning for the future – yet I’d prefer to spend my money on a new life experience. Does anyone know when my adult programming will kick in and I will actively want to save for my future? Please let a girl know. 🙋🏻 For the time being, I have discovered a life hack. A way to plan for my future without affecting my present. By downloading the Acorns App and connecting it with my spending habits I have been able to continually save for the past six months.

How It Works

Acorns is an app that is easy to download in the iPhone App Store or Google Play Store. Once downloaded the app is super user-friendly and easy to navigate. Within the app, you can link your bank accounts, credit cards, and even PayPal accounts. Everywhere you spend money on the daily you can link. There is no limit to the number of accounts. Once your accounts are linked Acorns will automatically begin investing your spare change.

Spare chage or “Round Ups” (as they’re called in the app) are the cent’s left over from every purchase.

For example, if you go to Starbucks and spend $ 3.86 on your favorite hot beverage, Acorns will automatically round that transaction to the nearest dollar and invest the change ($ 0.14). Acorns will keep track of these roundups and then withdraw them when your round ups total $ 5.00.

Acorns does charge a service fee of $ 1.00/month. This fee covers the administrative cost of your account. It is also good to mention that this monthly fee does increase once your account totals more than $ 5,000.00.

Slow and Steady Growth

As someone with zero investment experience or knowledge Acorns has given me the opportunity to dip my toe in the water. I opened my account on December 1st with $ 5.00 seed money and now today my account totals over $ 300.00. Penny by penny I have built an investment/savings account. The best part is because it’s fully automated – I literally set it and forget it. So easy.

One of my favorite aspects of this app is the “Potential” tab. This tab shows you a hypothetical picture of what your account will look like in 5, 10, 30+ years if you continue to save at your current rate. In addition, you can set a goal, say $ 100,000 by the time you are 65. You can click the “Change My Future” button, plug in your goal and it will show you what you need to save to meet that goal. Now, of course, the chart displayed is not guaranteed, but it is helpful when planning for the future.

Of course, the goal of an investment account is to continually add money and then to ride the market as a way to help with long-term goals – but, if/when you need to pull from your Acorns account you can. Not only can you withdraw the money, there is no transaction fee (this service is covered in the monthly dues). 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

Investment Options

Acorns let’s you choose from five investment profile ranging from Conservative to Risky. When you open your account the app will walk you through a brief survey to identify the best investment profile for you. You can, however, chose a different profile if you disagree with the result of the survey. Once again everything is so easy. In the realm of #adulting, I’ll take alllll the easy options! 💯😂

Free Seed Money

This is the BEST part of Acorns! By clicking the link below Acorns with GIVE YOU $ 5.00 for FREE! Not only that, but by clicking below, I also get $ 5.00! That’s what I call a win-win! 💃🕺

Once you set up your account you’ll also receive a shareable link so you can share Acorns with your friends and family!

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M I N D F U L N E S S

Listening To The Clues – When Timing is Everything

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April 26, 2018 3:00 AM April 26, 2018

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In this world, there is no opportunity without perfect timing. Whether it was the right job application at the right time, the right sponsored ad at the right time or…

In this world, there is no opportunity without perfect timing. Whether it was the right job application at the right time, the right sponsored ad at the right time or the right airline seat at the right time. Every opportunity that comes your way will come at the RIGHT TIME. Working with the universe is the best way to be ready when timing is everything.

Listening To The Clues

“What clues?”, you might ask. Clues are the subtle shifts in your world that will lead you toward (or away) from a certain opportunity. Let’s start with an everyday task like driving to work. Have you ever had a day where you missed your turn? Driven that way a million times and somehow missed it? Instead of getting upset, zoom out and look at the big picture. For some reason your universe wants you to go another way, whether it is to avoid an accident, to find a new part of town or to direct you towards another’s path. Pay attention to those moments, these are the clues.

Not buying that one? How about when you’re online shopping when you should (or should not) be spending money. 😏 Has anyone ever gotten to the check out screen, clicked “Proceed to Payment”, filled out all the required information and then received an error message. 😳 Only to reenter all the same information to get a new error message. 😳😳 This one I swear is not MY universe, but actually my husband’s universe. 🙃 🤷🏻 I can’t be the only one right?!

For me, watching, listening and feeling for those roadblocks are an important way to respond to the universe’s directions.

Being Fluid in the Moment

Every day we are placed in various situations where we can stick to our plan or adjust for current conditions. I find that the more fluid or flexible I am on a daily basis the better my overall quality of life becomes. From the inconvenient traffic jam on the way to work to the incorrect coffee order at my local coffee house.

I choose to believe I am in that moment for a reason.

Perhaps I need those extra minutes in the car before my workday begins or perhaps I should spice up my coffee routine with something new. If I am not open to suggestion I will never learn to experience all that this beautiful world has to offer.

Takeaway

As we move into the week ahead let’s all work to be present in every moment and appreciate it for what it is or isn’t. Listen for those clues, take those suggestions and be grateful for the guidance.

At the end of the day we are all just trying to get through another day – sometimes it’s good to know someone, something is looking out for us.

We are not alone.

And remember a square peg will NEVER fit in a round hole – so don’t force it. 🚫 When it’s been on the lathe long enough, it will fit, but only with perfect timing.

Enjoy your week friends!

Carolyn

PS. Anyone have any great timing (right place right time) stories they could share? I’d love to hear them!

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Speaking Life Into Yourself – The Practice of Positive Self-Talk

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April 5, 2018 3:00 AM April 5, 2018

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Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, either way you are right.” – Henry Ford One of the most important things we can all practice daily is…

Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, either way you are right.”

– Henry Ford

One of the most important things we can all practice daily is the art of positive self-talk. The way that we speak to ourselves or about ourselves speaks volumes to our subconscious and the world around us. The quote above is one of my favorites of all time. It depicts the importance of believing in oneself in a very plain and understandable manner — you decide.

Speaking Life Into Yourself ✨

Although it is wonderful to have a support network that believes in you and your goals. You must also be able to support and motivate yourself. Self-talk can have a great impact on your confidence. The first step to improving your self-talk is to start by just listening to what you routinely say to yourself.

You can benefit from this practice if:

Your self-talk is mainly negative

Your personal/professional goals are not being met

You are working through low self-esteem

You are working to feel better about yourself overall

What is self-talk?

Self-talk is the voice in your mind that says the things you don’t necessarily say out loud. We many times don’t even comprehend that this voice is constantly going on in the background, but how and what this voice says can have a big impact on how we feel about who we are.

How To Increase Positive Self-Talk

There are three things you can do to practice positive self-talk:

1. Listen to what you’re saying to yourself.

We don’t always consciously take note of what our inner voice is saying. The first step in improving your self-talk is to really listen to what your mind is saying. Is it mostly positive or mostly negative? Each day take time to listen and take notes of what you are thinking.

2. Question what you hear.

Ask yourself these qualifying questions:

Is there evidence to support that statement?
What would I say if this were someone I love?
Is there a different way to look at this?
Am I looking at the whole picture?
Is this productive?

3. Modify your self-talk.

This is not a practice that happens overnight, it will take time. Try countering your negative thoughts with positive ones. For example, if you find yourself thinking, ‘I’ll never live that life’, ask yourself: ‘What can I do to get me one step closer?’. Avoid speaking in finite terms, and try to look for things that might put a more positive spin on a tough situation.

There are two types of self-talk; Positive and Negative.

👍🏼Positive self-talk makes you feel good about yourself and the things that are going on in your life. It’s like having an optimistic voice in your head that always sees the silver lining.
Examples: ‘Traffic was terrible this morning, but I made it safe!’, ‘Man! I am rocking these new boots!’
👎🏼Negative self-talk makes you feel down about yourself and the things that are going on. It can put a downer on anything, even something good.
Examples: ‘Gosh I look so fat today’, ‘Why do I even bother, no one is listening’, ‘Luck is just never on my side.’

Practice, Practice, Practice

The more you work on improving your self-talk, the easier it will come. It is kind of like practicing for a sport or learning a new habit; with more positive self-talk, you’re more likely to feel in control of the things that go on in your life.

Does anyone have any tips they could share?

Leave them below! 👇🏼

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Making Meaningful Memories That Last A Lifetime

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March 15, 2018 4:00 AM March 15, 2018

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It’s that time of year again, Spring Break is upon us! As part of a co-parenting system, our time with Adreena is split. Sometimes we have her during her breaks…

It’s that time of year again, Spring Break is upon us! As part of a co-parenting system, our time with Adreena is split. Sometimes we have her during her breaks from school, sometimes she’s with her mom. Because of this, we are always working to make our time with Adreena most meaningful, although that is not always as easy as it sounds. Juggling time off, financial cost and the overall stress of #adulting 😅 can be a lot to take on for a solid week. In today’s post, we will work on a way to make more meaningful memories that last a lifetime.

Be Present

With the constant stress of everyday life taking the time to really focus on moments with your kids can be hard. Life doesn’t just stop because school does, right?! Scheduling time for you to put those stresses aside is important. For me it’s a time of day, I earmark a section of time just for games, chit-chat or random beauty treatments. Working this into my schedule keeps my stress low because I am not neglecting something else. If you are not able to take the whole week off think about taking off several afternoons so you can make the most of your time at home; with afternoon field trips or lunch dates. Adreena always preferred this schedule so she could still sleep in – her favorite part of the break😆. Another fun thing we like to do is go to late night movies! Such a treat for her, since we rarely go out on a weeknight, much less stay up until midnight. Choosing a movie and heading out after her dad is already in bed is always an adventure – throw in her favorite candy and it is a slam dunk!

Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff

In addition to the everyday stress sometimes there is the added stress of creating the “perfect” memory. This unrealistic expectation has got in my way more than a time or two. Many a time I have taken the time to perfect the scene; chosen her favorite restaurant, played her favorite music, gave her the perfect outfit, and something has gone awry. So often the change in plans has ruined my mood, distracted my mind or caused me to overreact. All of these reactions have proven to detract from the overall experience. As of late, I have made an effort to roll with the punches and be open to what experience the universe has for us. Not panicking over the details really helps me stay present in the moment and soak up every detail.

I truly believe it is all to do with thinking about the moment you are in as opposed to planning the next.

Be Open to What They Choose

It all comes back to this; being open to participating in what they enjoy. I understand this doesn’t always have the most curb appeal, but trust me – showing interest in what they like is the quickest way to a meaningful moment. Most often our children’s days are filled chasing us from one errand to another, which is necessary – but not the most fun. Making the moment about them in its entirety really speaks volumes. It could be video games, basketball, taking the dog for a walk or endless hours of The Vampire Diaries,🤣 setting this time aside makes a lasting impression.

Learn To Play

Spring Break with kids is all about FUN! Anything and everything fun – to keep things light and enjoyable you have to learn to just play. Whether it’s playing a board game, Marco Polo in the pool or Race You To The Car at your local grocery. Playing and laughing as a family is important. Some of my most cherished memories are when the three of us laughed to tears sitting at the kitchen table for some silly reason.

Our game of choice is always dominoes. We started playing Mexican Train way back when and then eventually switched to real Dominoes once Adreena was able to handle the math. Can’t beat a game that doubles as math practice! 😉 Nowadays we play dominoes every night during dinner. It brings us all to the table and keeps us there long after we are done eating.

These days we also travel with our dominoes, playing cards and on occasion UNO. You just never know when you’ll need them!

This weekend we are headed out of town with family, I plan to introduce Spoons. 😈 When’s the last time you played? ha ha ha I’m so excited to see how much fun we will have!

Comment below your favorite Spring Break Moment! I’d love to hear about them.

Until next week, enjoy your kiddos!

xo,

Carolyn

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How to Reframe Life With Daily Gratitude’s

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February 1, 2018 12:09 AM February 1, 2018

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There are times in life where we are presented with difficult situations and/or challenging people. In these instances it is often times easier to live in the negativity instead of…

There are times in life where we are presented with difficult situations and/or challenging people. In these instances it is often times easier to live in the negativity instead of finding a way to reframe the experience. Daily gratitude’s are one of the ways I work to process through those moments and reframe life.

#Throwback

As a junior in college I was faced with a very challenging professor. For the longest time I dwelled in how “hard the class was” and how “impossible the teacher was”. Round and round I went down the rabbit hole until one day when venting my employer pulled me aside and gave me some advice. She told me to pick ONE thing, it did not matter how small. Pick ONE thing that you like about the person or the situation. Start small and really hone in on that particular detail. She told me the more I practiced, the more that positive feeling would consume my thoughts and wash out the negativity. So the next class period I spent most of the lecture identifying that one thing… I’ll be honest I don’t have a clue what she was teaching that day. But by the end of class I had decided that she had excellent taste in shoes. LOL. That was it; I would focus my energy on appreciating her taste in footwear. 🤷🏻 Every day I would come to class, excited to see what pair of shoes she’d be wearing — from her Burberry ankle booties to her Marc Jacobs wedges. This practice kept me interested and in a positive place, class after class. After successfully passing her classes and even learning to like the professor I realized this was the key to anything uncomfortable I might face.

Nowadays I am long past ‘particular’ professors but I still encounter similar situations. I have learned to add these reframes in to my nightly gratitude routine. Nightly gratitude’s are the practice of writing down the things you are thankful for in the 30 minutes before bed, every day. Doing so seeds positivity for the future and gives a firm direction for the universe.

If I have a challenging situation or person, I focus two to five gratitude’s specific to that instance. For example; “Today I am thankful my new job has comfortable chairs” or “Today I am thankful my boss was busy in meetings”.😂 Mixing these gratitude’s in with my already flowing list of positive items creates for a powerful change.

Give it a try and let me know what you see!

I’d love to hear more in the comments below.

xo
Carolyn

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