Monday, August 27, 2018

Empowerment: 5 Ways to Take Your Power Back This Fall


Now that summer is done, its time to get back in control of your life.  Summer was all about making memories with the kids, truly savouring family time without having the constraints of a school calendar.  And now that school is almost back in session its time to regroup and refocus on you and growing yourself and your business forward.   It's time to focus on personal empowerment.

There are so many things you can do to empower yourself but these are 5 tangible, immediate things that I think we can all do to get ahead in being productive and in making our lives easier and more receptive to the opportunities that are awaiting us this year.  


1) Declutter: We've all heard the saying, "cluttered environment, cluttered mind."  If everything around you is in disarray, how can you expect your mind to be at peace?  Of course all your to do lists run rampantly through your mind as you see the pile of laundry in one corner of the room.  Of course your day starts off crappy as you open the pantry to grab a cereal box for the kids and 5 cans fall out and land on your toe because your pantry is filled with too much stuff.  Of course you can never find anything to wear because your clothes are stuffed together in the closet and you can't see anything.  If it doesn't serve you, get rid of it.  Just focus on a room a day for the next 2 weeks.  Spend one hour after dinner with a big trash bag (or 3 or 10) and put stuff in there that you really don't use or maybe have multiples of and donate it or give it to someone else who would appreciate it.  If it doesn't inspire you, get rid of it.  For a good decluttering method I've heard a lot of great reviews on the KonMari method.  And a great book on this is the Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  

2)  Forgive:  This is so important for your mind and your soul.  Look at this as a decluttering of the mind.  There are a lot of things in life that hurt us - friends, family, lovers, situations, jobs.  And we carry that hurt around with us. It makes our heart heavy and it contributes to how we communicate with the world.  It fills us with negative emotions and resentment and prevents us from being open to receiving any positive energy around us.   Forgive them and grow forward.  You don't have to forget but try to forgive.  Most people don't do things to intentionally hurt us so try not take anything too personally.  This is actually one of the 4 Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.  If you haven't read this, its a must.  Its like a handbook to life if there ever was one.  A great movie on learning to forgive and move forward is "I Can Only Imagine." 

3) Create a playlist:  Music is one of the rare forms of healing that can completely change your mood around 180 degrees in a second.  Listening to your favorite song can take you out of your stupor.  Listening to a song can take you back to your first kiss.  Listening to a song can take you back to childhood memories of fun road trips with the family.  I heard this tip while watching the movie “Made for More” based on Rachel Hollis, motivational speaker, author, fellow mompreneur, and founder of the Rise Gathering conferences.   I couldn’t agree more.  Having a playlist readily available to pick you up is a great tool for keeping you empowered.  

4) Eyelashes: Getting lash extensions is a game changer. If you've been following me for awhile you know how much i love them.  I started getting them a year ago and I can't stress enough the confidence you feel with long lashes.  Not only does it cut your time getting ready in the morning in half but you feel so glam from the minute you wake up to the moment you go to sleep.  As a mom, you usually don't feel so glam running around from errands to kids appointments, to games, etc.  In fact you feel sweaty, run down, and plain old tired.  But knowing that you look way better than you feel gives you that extra boost of energy.  Yes, its a mental game but I promise, it will change your world.  


5) Power undies:  Yes, I said it.  Yes, no one but you (and your significant other) will probably see your underwear but you are who matters right?  There's something about having sexy, beautiful, luxe undergarments that sets the tone for your confidence each and everyday.  How do you expect to channel your inner goddess and boss babe with big old grandma cotton underwear?  Put on those sexy lace or satin underwear and go rule the world.   You can get plenty of cute underwear anywhere but my go to is always Victoria's Secret.  They are always running special promos but the best deals you can find are at their outlets so if you can find one near you, I suggest running there.  







Hope you can put some of these into place TODAY and take your power back!

xoxo, Karen


Saturday, August 18, 2018

Insanity Check - 6 things you must make time for in order to be a better mom

The summer is quickly coming to an end and before we know it, the long endless summer days will be replaced with the hustle and bustle of school days, after school activities, rushing back and forth to appointments, kids parties, etc.  



And while I might not have the answer on time management, there's one thing that I'm absolutely sure of- you need to make time for yourself.   I know many people worry about being selfish but I truly believe - if you are not personally 100%, then I don't see how you can give 100% to your family, work, or anything else that demands your attention. 

There are 6 things you absolutely must make time for: 

  1. Gym time/active time - nothing is a mood booster like a workout is. Yes it's hard work, but the energy and accomplishment you feel afterwards is priceless. And the best part is, the benefits don't end there! Every little step or action you take moves you closer to your overall fitness goal. You have nothing to lose.  While there are many physical benefits to this, imagine that alone time in your head. That's valuable time for positive affirmations.  My favorite form of exercise is dance - you can dance from the comfort of your own home with so many options here. 
  2. Food prep - you've heard this quote "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." There are so many benefits to prepping your meals for the day/week. First you save money. Second you are controlling what's going into your body. You control how much sugar, fats, vitamins, nutrients that go into your body and for those you love. Thirdly, you save time throughout the week. Instead of wondering each and everyday what you are going to have for dinner, if you've planned it out then you'll have all your ingredients ready and hopefully chopped and ready to cook.  
  3. Weekly face mask - your skin will thank you later...and so will your sanity. All it takes is 15 minutes. Put on a sheet mask, or a charcoal mask. Read your favorite book for 15 minutes, meditate, listen to your favorite podcast or playlist, and wash off! Your skin will feel like a million bucks and you'll be so happy that you made 15 minutes of time for yourself.  My favorite masks to use are by Peter Thomas Roth and my favorite sheet masks are my Skin Laundry. 
  4. Personal things that you love to do- I know this is a tough one but put it into your calendar. Weekly might be aggressive but if you can do bi-weekly that would be amazing. Go to a coffee shop and read a book for an hour, spend time perusing an antique shop, nurture your inner green thumb, join the local volleyball team. Do something for you. The rest of the time is almost always for the rest of the family so focus this time for yourself 
  5. Focus on something to help your side hustle and propel your business forward. We live in an age where our full time job is not our only job. We live in an age where the term "stay at home mom's" doesn't exist anymore.   Everyone has a gig. Everyone is an entrepreneur. We all have ideas. But what are you doing to put those ideas into action? Make time into your day/week to focus on your side business.  A great resource for helping you create an actionable plan is the Passion Planner. It helps you break down your dream goal into minute goals so reaching the overall goal doesn't seem so daunting.   If you need motivation, You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero is an amazing book. 🙌🏼
  6. Talk to your girlfriend. We all have different friends for various situations. You have your co- worker who you can vent to about your crappy boss, your spontaneous friend who you can call to go out for drinks or even to go dancing with, your friend you can cry to. Make time for the girlfriend who makes you laugh the most. She's the one you can probably be the most real with because you both share the same sense of humor. 

Make time for these 6 things regularly and you will be the best person you can be for your family.