tips


5 Ways to see the happy side of life

Disclaimer: I am not a mental health professional. The following is my opinion. If you are feeling extremely unhappy and sad, please visit a mental health professional for advice and assistance.

Happy National Happiness Happens Day!

What is National Happiness Happens Day? I wondered the same thing, because it is different than the celebration of general happiness; which happens in March. National Happiness Happens Day is a celebration of just being happy.

Everyone has happiness inside of them; no matter how dark or bleak the world may look. No matter how many problems we each face everyday, there is something inside of us that is happy. Sometimes small things make us happy, and sometimes larger than life things make us happy. The important thing to remember is that we need to remind ourselves about what makes us happy when we are down, that way we can return to being happy!

No matter how many bad things might be going on in our lives, there are many more good things in our lives to be thankful and grateful for. These are things that make us happy. Here are five ways to see the happy side of life, no matter what mood you might be in at the moment.

  1. Mother Nature: We live in a beautiful world. Whether you believe God created it, or you believe it was created another way, the Earth is a beautiful place. We have majestic mountains, life-giving trees, and delicate flowers. The water of the Earth gives us life and the ground provides us with a means to grow food. If you are in the dessert, a forest, coastside, or on a prairie, there is beauty in the nature around you. It is important to stop and take a moment to breath in the beauty of nature and appreciate it’s grand glory.
  2. Exercise: Whether you are a gym rat, or have sworn off exercise as the greatest evil of all, moving your body will make you happy. It releases endorphins, which is a natural chemical in your body that makes you happy. Our beautiful bodies created by God, or if you are atheist-created somehow, have the ability to naturally make us happy. Nothing can lift your spirits more then taking a walk outside, shooting hoops at the park, going for a jog, or hitting the gym. All it takes is a minimum of thirty minutes a day of exercise to make us happy.
  3. Make a Pro List: At some point in your life, you may have made a pro/con list. Instead of making a pro/con list, just make a pro list which details all the things you are happy for in your life. Pin it on the refrigerator door, or somewhere you look everyday. This will be a daily reminder of the things that are amazing in your life, and everytime you look at it you will feel happy and thankful. Love that!
  4. Favorite Food: There is an expression, “the way to someone’s heart is through the stomach.” There is nothing like comfort food. Eat food that makes you happy; and be grateful you have the means to eat it!
  5. Favorite Places: Where is your happy place? This could be an amusement park, a quiet neighborhood park, a hiking trail, the top of Mt. Tam., a cozy café, your Mother’s worn sofa; or anywhere you feel secure, happy, and carefree! If you feel down, go there! If you are happy, go there! Always keep your happy place on your calendar so you can continually look forward to it!

What are some things in your life where happiness just happens? For me it’s the beach, a view of Mt. Tam, swimming laps in the pool, working out in a fitness class, spending time with my family, cooking a favorite meal, relaxing with a good book, sipping warm green tea, having a conversation with you about fashion trends, and gazing at the stars. Let me know where happiness happens for you in the comments below!

Enjoy National Happiness Happens Day and have a very happy day!

XOXO

Cathy


Ways to reduce stress

ways to reduce stress manage stress

Ways to reduce stress: Things which help manage stress levels from top left: A fun mug for decaf tea before bedtime / “Zumba” home workout routines to get moving at home and reduce stress / cozy blanket throw to snuggle up in while relaxing before bedtime / paper planner for getting re-organized (this is the planner I own, and I love it!) /  yoga mat for stress reducing exercise / sneakers for looking cool while talking a stress reducing walk

If you find your life is busy, stressful, and hard to manage, then welcome to the family! I am always looking for new ways to reduce stress in my life. As a working Mother of three who home-schools, and volunteers in the community, I have a lot of balls in the air.

In order to manage stress without drinking alcohol, or using any vices, one needs to get creative! If you search online for ways to reduce stress, often times the articles will give advice about meditating, taking deep breaths, and similar new-age type tips. If you are like me, these new-age tips are completely worthless. I don’t do meditation. I don’t listen to tapes with ocean sounds, and I certainly don’t sit crossed-legged taking deep breaths. No sir-re bob!

As an active person, I need active and calming practices to help me reduce stress; as well as time management. In order to juggle running a business, home-schooling two kids, juggling three schedules for three children, keeping my house in order, and maintaining my two, big volunteer jobs, I have created my five tips to managing stress. These work for me! I hope you like them and find them helpful!

5 ways to reduce stress in life

  1. Exercise: OK, I am sure you have heard this before, but exercise is my favorite way to manage my stress level. When you exercise, you release endorphins which helps to keep your spirits up. Exercising actually creates energy, making it easier to get through your busy day. My favorite stress-relieving exercises include Cardio Kickboxing (imagine punching things that stress you out), Spin Classes (spin out the stress!), and Cardio dance classes (nothing like getting lost in the rhythm and the music!).
  2. Get Organized: This may sound like a no-brainer, but sometimes we need to reorganize our personal organization systems. Try switching from an electronic to-do list to a paper planner, or vise-versa. Sometimes just using a new organizational system can makes things seem more simple. I use a paper planner with my daily schedule and to-do list. This helps me organize by the day, week, and month. If one day seems too busy, you can easily switch things up. I think a paper planner is easier to see at a glance versus using an app. I also like being able to take my pen and check things off after they are done.
  3. Relax at least one hour before bed: I don’t know about you, but I cannot get my much-needed sleep if I work up until bedtime. One hour before I go to sleep I zone out in front of the television. This is also a great time to chat on the phone with a friend, catch up with your friends on social media, or listen to music. Don’t do anything productive or your mind will still be spinning when you try to go to sleep.
  4. Schedule “Me Time:” When you work, raise children, and juggle everyday life, sometimes it can be hard to remember to schedule time with your friends, or to schedule alone time. What is fun and relaxing for you? Is it meeting a friend for lunch during a busy day? Is it strolling through the mall with your friends? Is it taking a long walk alone? Make sure you have at least one planned “me time” during the week, every week. It will help keep you sane.
  5. Stay away from addictive substances and sugar: No joke. Caffeine can make you jittery and elevate your heart rate when you are under stress. Alcohol can cause all sorts of headaches when you are stressed out; and I don’t just mean a hangover. Do I even need to mention why cigarettes cause stress even thought you think they calm you down? Just say no. Stay away from anything addictive. Sugar too! Sugar can make you tired, less productive, and groggy. There is no place for a lot of sugar in a busy day. Save sweet treats for your rest days; in moderation of course.

These are the ways I reduce stress in my life, and I manage my stress levels. What are some ways you manage stress in your busy lives?

Things I find comforting when I am stressed out:

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy


Goals for the new year

photo courtesy of “Her Creative Studio” via Style Collective. 

Cheers to a new year! 2018 is here, and as much as I love making New Year Resolutions, often times I don’t follow through with them. I decided this year, instead of making a list of resolutions, I would make goals.

My 2018 goals are simple, and I believe they will be easy to achieve in the New Year. Without further ado, here are my 2018 goals:

Get outside more: I am homeschooling two of my three children, and I work from home. When I workout, I go to the gym. I need to try and get outside more by scheduling family hikes, outings, and the like; at least once per week.

Give my husband more attention: With three kids, their activities, and running my company, sometimes I fail to give my husband the attention he deserves. I am going to plan a date night once a month, and ensure he gets the attention he deserves!

Make more educational family time: We play games with our kids, and take them on excursions, but most of that time is fun time. I want to make fun time more educational. This means more educational-type excursions, and educational games. I want my intelligent children to be as well educated as possible. So far we have played writing games, and gone to a few museums; but I want to do more-would love ideas you have!

Get my fitness on track: I always have a strong workout plan which I adhere to religiously every week, season, and year. Last September I hurt my neck, and had to stop working out for several weeks. Then, I was able to start up my workout routine over Thanksgiving vacation. Unfortunately, I soon fell ill with influenza and was unable to workout for close to three weeks. I finally got back on track this week. My goal is to stay healthy and keep my fitness on track. I gained over ten pounds since September by not working out, so I really need to keep my schedule strict!

Diversify my blog income: So this is a question I get asked quite often; “How does your blog make money?” Right now, I have been making passive income by relying on affiliate income, banner ads, and brands who approach me for collaborations. It has been easy to run my blog this way; plus, since I have three kids and I home-school two, I am always really busy-so I always have had excuses for not going out there and cold pitching. But, it is time for a shake-up!

In 2018, I plan to use my corporate outside sales background to start pitching brands in order to expand my income possibilities. I have an action plan, and I have already started to implement it. Don’t worry, I am targeting brands I already love, and would be a good fit for this blog. I would never advertise something to you which I don’t already love, use, and would pay for myself. If you have questions about a brand relationship, or monetization of this blog in general, never hesitate to email me.

Stay away from “fast fashion:” So, I don’t think I need to delve too much into this. The last few years I have succumbed to the fast fashion temptation. Great prices, trendy items, designer look-a-likes; but my lifetime mantra has always been to buy the real thing. I have never purchased anything that isn’t real, because unreal items are sold by criminal organizations; but I have purchased fast fashion items which are inspired by the runways-I think you know the cheap stores I am referring to which can be found online, and at the mall. No more! I am staying away from cheap, sweatshop items.

Well, those are my 2018 goals for now. What are some of your goals for the new year?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy