Category: Love Notes

Brave is the new Black

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I was subtly reminded the other day just when I was digging out the weeee  last little bit of glorious color from one of my favorite lipstick as I flipped it over and noticed the name of it — that the word brave can mean many things. I smiled at myself because at that exact moment it meant to me that I had to put on my big girl pants and go get the job done, regardless if I felt like it or not, I had to be my version of brave. The brave woman would thank me later….she always does!

My go to neutral-ish color on a daily basis by MAC Cosmetics

BRAVE

Such a bold, strong word.  💪  Sometimes it partners with funny, sexy and inspiring. At times though, it can  partner with sadness, loneliness and the ugly stuff —  that’s when we don’t always give ourselves the credit for the feeling.

The credit we should for finding a way to deal with whatever it is we are going through at the time. To listen in, to cry, to feel the emotion – that can be tough and deserves to be recognized.Sometimes being brave is letting it all out, letting it go, being true to how you are actually feeling.

Everyone has something, no matter how glamorous the social media reel may look – remember that. You are not alone, even though you may feel like it at times. Your words, how you dealt with hardships and stories mean things and are important.

Your version can truly help another person in the most beautiful way.

You are brave in your own way, every single day. Now, off to replace that lipstick, I have used all of my creativity up trying to get the last drop out! (I know I am not alone here!!!) 😍

Thanks so much for stopping by and reading!

 

Love Notes ~ The Handwritten Kind…

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How awesome is to give or receive a hand written note? That warm & fuzzy feeling you get when reading it or thinking about what the person may be doing when they open your note? In our modern-day age with all of the options for technology and instant communication, the simple art of taking a few minutes to write out a thank you card, love note, or hey I’m thinking of you card is becoming more & more uncommon. It is an act of kindness that is truly so meaningful and brightens the receiver’s day in such an unexpected way!

Love Notes

Maybe it was the memory of finding little love notes written on a napkin every now & then tucked away in my lunch as a kid from my Mom that I remember or being taught the importance of sending a thank you, either way, it has stuck with me.  😉

One of my favorite places to stock up on inexpensive stationery is at Target,  especially in the dollar bins up front! (Caution: try not to get sucked into everything else!!! Easier said than done) Really though, they have such an awesome selection of sizes, styles & colors. I tend to navigate towards the blank cards or more simple ones so I can use them for anything. Marshalls & TJMaxx also have a nice selection. When traveling, I tuck a card or two away in my bag for that just in case moment of need – and am always so happy I have something when it comes up!  Not a fan of your handwriting, meh – it’s the thought counts.

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!

 

A Yearly Sister’s Trip — This Year, We Take On Nashville, TN

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For a few years, I lived outside of Nashville in a suburb called Murfreesboro, but due to my travel schedule, I did not get to spend a ton of time there, but did get a pretty good feel for the city.  Funny, but true,  we often explore parts of the area we live in the most when hosting guests! For this particular trip, I was both a guest and a hostess as my sister and I returned for our yearly sister trip. When my sis, Crystal and I first started doing these, we said, “Yes! Once a year we are going to commit to a sister trip!” What a great idea, right? Especially as adults,  the years start to fly by and before we know it, years have passed. We are live in the moment type of girls, so making time for us is important. Our first one we met up in vibrant  Chicago and while we haven’t quite nailed every year since we first set out to, two out of four years means we are winning at 50%! Yeah!

Parthenon Museum, (replica) Nashville, TN

Nashville, TN – The Iconic “Batman Building” AT&T Building

Nashville, Tennessee is home to some amazing country music legends, has an incredible list of up & coming artists, gorgeous rolling countryside, an eclectic collection of neighborhoods – each with their own unique vibe, a nightlife scene that will provide a lifetime of memories and so much more. The southern charm is something to experience and truly, there is something for everyone.

It just so happened that we booked our visit for the third week in January and it was unseasonably COLD in Nashville. I am talking 14 degrees and SNOW! I came in a couple of days early for a few appointments and the city literally shut down on that Friday due to weather. I mean weather has been crazy this winter, but that’s a lot of snow in the south! I stopped into the grocery store on my way home from the Y and the check – out lines were wrapped around the front of the store to the fresh produce area, all karts were gone and there was no bottled water left! Instead of fighting the crowd, I walked out and stopped at a wine store I found conveniently enough located right down from our rental and gathered the essentials – bonus, they had water! We were going to be just fine!

While we were all snowed in on Friday (my sis wasn’t scheduled to arrive until Saturday afternoon) I have the privilege of working from anywhere and the Air BnB that we booked was not only located in a prime area and close to everything, but offered super cozy amenities to enjoy in the down time. Feeling a little adventurous, polar bear plunge, anyone?!

Look @ this snow!

Not a Bad Thing At All!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where To Stay

There are a ton of options for accommodations while visiting Nashville. Hotels, Airbnb’s, Home Away Rentals, B & B’s & RV Campgrounds to mention just a few. Depending on the time of year and what is going on, as with anywhere, rates will reflect what’s happening and with Nashville becoming more & more popular, it is always a good idea to get a feel of the time of year you are visiting and how that compares against accommodation options & rates.

Side – note here, when we come to visit in our Coach two of our favorite RV Parks are: Two Rivers Campground which is located right next to the absolutely stunning Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville which is a MUST see during the holiday, but honestly is great to check out anytime of the year and of course is always an option to stay at. My sis and I escaped the cold a little bit and enjoyed the sights inside of The Gaylord, warming up! The other RV Park is Nashville Shores located on Percy Priest Lake and offers cabins as well. Admittedly, we have ONLY stayed here in November during the off season, (it is a water park) but it offers a lakeside sites, cabins & is away from the busy, busy area of Nashville, but still within driving distance of all the hot spots.

Sister Trip 2018 ~ Gaylord Opryland

So Fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nashville Shores

 

Our Coach, “Maybe” 😉 Nashville Shores, TN

 

 

 

 

 

 

Food!!!

So. Many. Options. I mean, BBQ, smothered & covered grits & gravy, southern comfort food galore, the Nashville Hot Chicken scene, bread pudding, you name it, you can find it. My sis and I went more of a what we were feeling in the moment, plussss, we were balancing all those yummy cocktails out! We discovered a couple super trendy & fun spots. Within walking distance of where we were staying in Midtown is The Tavern. This is the CUTEST gastro pub that is both cozy and upscale. The menu has all kind of options from garlic infused fries to buffalo cauliflower. The drinks are a creative blend of ingredients that refresh and impress. Yes, yes, yes – a fantastic place to kick off our girlie trip. It does have an outside seating area, but again, it was about 9 degrees!

A Sister Is Such a Gift

Kicking off our trip – The Tavern

Buffalo Cauliflower – YUM!

Puckett’s Restaurant & Grocer has a few locations, with the original being in Franklin, TN and one in downtown. Live music is offered nightly at both locations and a menu that serves up brisket, fried green tomatoes & ribs among other southern treats & nightly specials.  We opted for the one downtown this time around and enjoyed a great performance with bbq salads – it was the last day of our visit and we choose to go light!

We had to get in a little exercise and we figured why not run Nashville’s Music Row, check out many of the music production studios and grab a quick bite afterwards. No celebrity sightings to report, but there is this adorable cafe offering the freshest ingredients and loads of healthy options called Caviar and Bananas located in Midtown. It is known for its brunch scene, but we just did a quick stop by and tried the overnight turmeric oats while having some sister chat.

Located in Nashville’s ever so popular neighborhood, East Nashville there is an array of restaurants, boutique shops, vibrant wall art, pubs and antique stores. It’s a great place to grab a bite to eat, walk around and have a few photo – ops! The Pharmacy is a burger parlor (yes, parlor!) and beer garden that has some of the juiciest burgers around, fries with garlic or wasabi aioli and a wide variety of beers on tap. The outside area is so much fun in the warmer temps with huge picnic tables for big groups to enjoy.

Three of the five, Five Point Bears in East Nashville

Five Points Nashville – I am an AWESOME Photographer! Ha, ha! Any CMT Viewers recognize this wall?!

Take #10. I swear I was JUMPING! My sis needs a little help with the camera! Lol

Entertainment

As you have probably noticed, food & entertainment easily go together in this amazing city.  When visiting, a stroll down Broadway is an absolute MUST as it is lined with bars and country music pouring out of each.  Stop in, enjoy a drink(sss) and maybe even a line dance depending on where you go. If you are looking for a new pair of boots as a souvenir, there are plenty of stylish options here. The old Union Station, The Frist Center for the Visual Arts and Riverfront Park are all within walking distance of each other. Tootsies Orchid Lounge is a world-famous honkey tonk and definitely worth the wait in line for a first time visitor who enjoys the country music scene, the drinks kept us toasty!

Tootsies Orchid Lounge, Nashville, TN — Fur Hoods UP!!

We may or may have not Marco Polo’d our parents and sang “Friends in Low Places” from here! Because, why not?!

A trip to Nashville is truly complete with a visit to  The Bluebird Cafe and / or catching a show at the Grand Ole Opry. A couple of important things to consider when planning: The Bluebird is a quaint, legendary club that showcases some of the best talent in Nashville.  It may be recognized from CMT’s show, Nashville or seen in movies. While it is a fantastic way to experience true country music, Nashville style, it can be tough to get into and there are steps to making a reservation, be sure to check the website for details. It is not unlikely to stand in line outside of the club for hours before the doors open to get a seat.  The Bluebird is located about 7 miles outside of downtown Nashville.

The Grand Ole Opry is one of the longest running radio shows, broadcasting since 1925. For most of the year, is at the Grand Ole Opry House (located a few miles from downtown Nashville near the Opryland Hotel), but from November – February each year, The Grand Ole Opry is at its former home The Ryman Auditorium which is located right in downtown Nashville. There is great history to the Grand Ole Opry and tours are offered at both venues. Having the incredible opportunity to visit each, I can happily say there is not a back seat in the whole house! Eight artists are guaranteed to be in the nightly line – up and often, surprise additions are sure to make an appearance.

I surprised my sis with tickets to the Grand Ole Opry and the show was amazing — complete with on – air commercials and all. Such a unique experience!

Grand Ole Opry @ the Ryman Auditorium

Grand Ole Opry @ the Ryman Auditorium

 

Downtown, Nashville, TN

Grand Ole Opry @ The Grand Ole Opry House

WOW!! And, that is a Nashville sister trip wrap – up. I didn’t even get CLOSE to covering everything, but this should be a great start. Most importantly, we laughed, cried, skipped, ran, and even had a sister spat or two for good ol’ times. The memories we make in life are the true treasures.

If you have been to Nashville, I’d love to hear about your favorite memories and suggestions. Please feel free to share in the comments! Also, if you have any questions, please reach out and ask away! This website is also super helpful for all things Nashville. Visitor’s Guide to Music City.

Thank you so, so much for stopping by and reading. Have a wonderful day!

~ XX Renee

Inhale Confidence ~ Exhale Self Doubt

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I’m laughing at this exact moment because I just had to do THIS:

INHALE CONFIDENCE

EXHALE SELF DOUBT

Laughing because as I am multi – tasking, answering emails, texts, teammates, customers, social media and thinking about this exact topic that I was getting to ready to write on, I believe I was holding my breathe….without even realizing! Then, I exhaled – a BIG one and it felt so freaking good!

WE ALL DO IT.

From time to time fall into that downward spiral of self doubt,  negative head talk, even the comparison game. Especially whenever we are about to do something, new — for the first time.

Here’s the thinG though…

It is just fear.

That’s it. And you know what, it is the PERFECT indicator that you are on the RIGHT track. The fear IS the indicator that you NEED to push through and follow your gut & heart. Get out of the overthinking, junk food thoughts and get back in control of your thoughts.

You got this.
You are enough.
You are worthy.
You are damn awesome.
You are beautiful.
What you are doing IS valuable and makes a difference.
So, keep doing YOU.

If you are reading post and feeling like this message, today is talking directly to YOU, there is a reason you are here. It is to encourage you, this is your sign.

If you are feeling stuck, here’s a few things that usually help me:

  • Get up, walk away from whatever it is you are doing and literally walk. Get a breath of fresh air. Take several breaths. Getting that oxygen flowing is not only great to clear the mind & increase creativity, but it gets the blood flow moving!
  • Speaking of moving, try 10 jumping jacks, regular jumps or putting on a song that you LOVE and dance!! Moooove that gorgeous body!
  • If it is run down you are feeling and able to – take a 20 minute catnap. It does wonders and napping isn’t just for kids, anymore. 😉

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVES BECAUSE IT WORKS! 

  • Write out twenty grateful statements: “I am so grateful that…..” Check in with your mood after and note the shift. Don’t stress about this one, it can be everything from, “I am so grateful for the cold, clean water I am drinking” to “I am so grateful for the income I received, today” to “I am so grateful for sunshine” Big, small, everything in between. Truuust me on the twenty & how impactful this exercise can be.
  •  If you work from home like I often do, change up that working space. Environment is EVERYTHING! Check out a coffee shop, go to a park (I like ones with picnic tables as they are easy to convert into my desk and I can sprawl out! :-)), even a nice hotel lobby is a great change of pace! Then, hit up happy hour for a drink as a mini celebration for being bad ass and pushing through your fear!

Thank you for stopping by! Much love!

xx

~ Renee

 

All It Takes Is One Conversation To Change Everything. Gratitude + Abundance Magnified

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A little backstory about what triggered the thought for this post. I am currently reading book #3 of a 4 book series written by Rhonda Byrne. Of course I am reading them out of order (no surprise, that’s my style!!) which does not impact the flow of the books, the author explains.  The book reviews of the series itself are amazing in themselves with many sharing that these books have literally changed their life. As with anything though, use it or lose it — so the author emphasizes  it is crucial that the reader practices what they learn in their life immediately.   Book #3 is called, the Magic and is all about the insane power of gratitude and how to truly understand it, use it and experience it more than you could have ever imagined.

Gratitude + Abundance Magnified.

Today’s exercise (day #12)  asked me to think of three people in my life and thank them out loud for HOW they have affected the course of my life. To truly visualize that moment in time, speak it out loud and thank them. I closed my eyes, cleared my thoughts and focused on the thought to bring in the people who came to mind, first.

Within seconds, the man who’s name I  wish I knew so I could reach out and thank in person came to mind. While I don’t know his name, I took his advice straight to heart & put it into action, that’s how good it was.

Here’s a look into what he shared with me

fifteen (HOLY MOLY!!!) years ago and how that ONE conversation was so impressionable in my young adult life.

During my college years @ Kent State University in Kent, Ohio I worked alongside of being a full time student, like many do. I was truly so fortunate to have found a job that was considered on campus, paid well and I could walk to (nearly all 4.5 years from my freshman dorm & college house) that didn’t involve food or being a resident assistant. I considered being a RA long & hard, but I just couldn’t bring myself to having to put a stop to those early a.m. parties that I was the one guilty of being at! I would have wound up turning myself in because I couldn’t handle being a hypocrite! Just about as I was feeling the freshman frustration of adapting, juggling & stressing just a bit I came across a job posting for the KSU Phone Center….

I tried to ignore it. I realllllly did.  It continued to pop up all over the place – SO, I accepted the message staring point blank right at my face and I looked a little closer. I mean to a broke college kid, the hourly pay looked incredible.  I told myself it would only be for a semester or so, ha, ha -come to find out the joke was on me.  I officially became a student caller at the Kent State University Foundation Center raising money for KSU through alumni. Yep, a telemarketer in all of it’s glory.  Oi. I didn’t like the title (never been fond of titles), but I did like the hourly rate, bonuses & incentive program. The job taught me A LOT and I made some incredible life – long friends.  After my freshman year I applied for a position as a Phone Center Manager (yayyy, I didn’t have to call as much!), got the position and 4.5 years later I was still there, which leads me to my mystery man.

I was a December graduate and every now and then, us Supervisors would jump on the line to do a few calls,  lead by example and keep our experience relevant & relate-able.  This specific night, I spoke with an Alum who had three kids of his own, put them all through college and understood the importance of alumni support. I, personally was just on the brink of graduating and honestly was already feeling the fear of being unsure of where I was going, what I wanted to do in just a few short weeks and where I was going to live among many other things. As the man and I were building rapport, he asked me my plan — the dreaded question that weighed so heavily on me at the time. I believe I responded by telling him I wasn’t sure; but I was thinking about going somewhere for a little bit before I had to “commit” to the real world — which in itself is a whole other story, but I’ll save that for later! The man shared with me that there was only ONE requirement he had for all of his kids and that was for each to take a few months / weeks and travel before jumping into a full – time position, marriage, kids, life in general. He paid for it, that was his gift completely to them. He shared with me where all of his kids chose to go and a about each of their unique experiences. He really emphasized that NOW was the time he expressed to them to do it, because life happens no matter what and many times, really fast.

That night

after I thanked him for his generous contribution and ended the call, I decided 100% that this is exactly what I needed to do – travel. I committed, to myself. I found the place (a 14  – hour plane trip away) that felt right and I took out an additional, small student loan to help fund my decision. I put it together in few short weeks and traveled / worked for travel for six beautiful months in the gorgeous country of Australia.

I am so, so grateful for that man. The man who’s name I am not sure of, but I KNOW he was placed into my life at exactly the right time to be the messenger for exactly what I needed to hear. If I had not had that conversation and been open to it, who knows if or how long it would have taken me to leap and truly appreciate the wonderful world of travel. I know for a fact, every decision I made after that would look much different than it does now if I had not had that conversation.

My question to you is: who in your life has truly impacted your path? How would your life look if you didn’t make THAT specific decision or have THAT specific conversation? The next time you make a choice, will it be slightly different?

The mind blowing  thing is

that often, when we take the time to look back we can identify how truly one choice leads to another and we can absolutely design the life we desire based on our choices & an open mind.

On the gorgeous Emerald Coast of Miramer Beach, FL – A Winter Escape

Thank you so much for stopping by. Have a beautiful day and make sure to create more magic in your life!

 

XX

Renee

New Year’s Resolutions Are SO Boring, Though!!

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It’s the last week of 2017

dun, dun, dunnnn…. so what does that mean? Stressful, a wash, a week of over indulging, travel & family, over planning, it can be a variety of things and feelings, that is for sure.

I know for me personally, the last week of the year tends to be a big week for reflection about the year we are closing in on and what I want to create in the New Year. Sometimes it’s a specific focus like relationship goals, fitness desires, family plans or career leaps, but more times than not it is a mash – up of sorts with a fresh outlook and approach to starting the new chapter of the new year.

The question is HOW do we keep it fresh & fun and not get overwhelmed with the closing out of a year? I have the PERFECT solution for you that I discovered through a little trial, failure & getting at it again until it legit felt GOOD!  I share the good stuff below….

New Year’s Resolutions Are So Boring, Though…

The thought of writing out line after line of New Year’s Resolutions actually makes me crinkle my nose, a bit nauseous  and grumpy all while creating this icky feeling of resistance in my gut.  Sounds awful, right?? I know I am not alone here. I have always viewed it as a giant to do list that ends up being something I count the days until I BROKE the resolution that I had just declared only days before.  Don’t get me wrong I whole – heartily tried the whole resolution thing for years –  I would spend time writing it out all pretty with all those words in neat handwriting, even colored pens, read it, smile  and then bury it somewhere I ended up never looking at it (although I had every intention to do so). Every single year. Talk about self – sabotage! To only come across it a few years later , sigh, have a little laugh and think about how I should have tried harder or just plain saved that time and done something more productive than writing out lines of neatly written rules I hated to even think about not let alone stick to. Straight up made me feel gross.  Ugh,  clearly not my thing.

A Fresh Approach….

 

Think back to when you were a kid in school and the art teacher’s project was to create a collage. She would ask everyone to bring in magazines and they’d be lumped right in the middle of the pod of desks, alongside with some glue sticks, construction paper and scissors. The task would be to cut out whatever appealed to your eye and stick it on the paper. Then, you’d be left with this beautiful creation of things that were all you, that appealed to you and made you feel good. The colors, places, words, textures, it was all you. No two kid’s collages looked alike.

This is the exact SAME process for the VISION BOARD! The actual word – vision board or dream board is just the grown up version of a kid’s art collage.  Gahhh, the creative, visionary side of me gets all excited about this and it is SO fun to do! So much better than writing out line after line of New Year’s Resolutions, just saying!

The best part is that there are zero rules or boundaries, here. Pour yourself a glass of vino, put on some background music and just have fun!

Here’s a few ideas to help get those creative energies flowing….

Choose a cork board and pin up things that you want in 2018, your goals, desires and dreams so big they make you laugh, trust me, if they don’t make you laugh, they need to be bigger! Keep it super simple and go the poster board & glue stick route.  Stickers & sharpies make great decorating besties!  More of a digital girl – perfect! Canva is a great FREE app to use to upload images, photos, backgrounds to create a digital collage then you can easily use it as your desktop or phone background, print it out, hang it up. The idea is not to bury your dreams, goals & vision for 2018 (ahhem, like I did with all those words as mentioned above) it is to see it daily, all of the time — feel the excitement in your heart & mind every time you catch a glimpse of it. Get that daily dose of what YOU want in your best day, life, year & keep reminding yourself.  Clip out words, a few favorite motivational phrases, travel destinations, your dream home, dream vacation, $$ you want in your bank account, charities you would love to donate to, the gorgeous gown you want to wear, that killer pair of heels that you’ve had your eye on, the toned arms you know you would rock in a tank top, the family vacation your family has talked about for years, the new car you want (NOT the one you think you can afford, but the one you REALLY want), the wedding of your dreams or man for that matter!

**Tip: Use a symbol or image that only you know what it represents if that makes you more comfortable putting it out there.

Get at it — truly, every desire is absolutely worth stating out loud that you want it., claim it, own it, it. is. yours. There is SO much power in putting out into the universe exactly what you want.

Then, you know what is the BEST feeling?  The butterflies you feel when you look back at the year’s previous vision board and realize what has been accomplished, what was once a dream is now a reality.  The only guideline for the vision board project is to just do it, without thinking about the “how” everything is possible, if it feels good and you’re having fun then you are winning!

Here’s a pic of one of mine from 2017. It is nothing fancy and mind you I travel in a suitcase 10 out of 12 months of the year and live in bus, so size does matter! 😉 I chose to make a digital copy and a poster version so I could tape it to the back of my bathroom door and see it every day ( I was “home”), or toss it in my suitcase for easy traveling.

Cheers to YOU, 2018 and to creating your best year yet all while having loads of fun along the way! Thank you for stopping by & reading.

XX

Much Love ~ Renee

Gettin’ Some of the Morning Magic….

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Our days are often so overly packed with commitments, schedules, appointments, errands — you name it. Not to mention all of the hats we wear as multi – tasking, super efficient, on top of her game super women, ha, ha!  No wonder we are often left feeling SPENT at the end of the day doing everything we can to enjoy a glass (or two — no judging, here!) of vino, possibly in peace…for a minute?!  Self – care…what the hell is that? Who has time for anything extra? A clone would be a wonderful thing at times, right? Or maybe even a friendly robot, like from the Jetsons??? Yeah, a cute one, please! 😉

Ok, ok, so what if you made a commitment to yourself to carve out a just a few minutes at the beginning & end of each day for you? A few minutes to start your day, set your intention, set your internal GPS and do something for yourself that kicked off your day that made you actually FEEL really f-ing great about yourself? In turn those few powerful minutes work to serve others in a much bigger, more present and loving way. Would you do it? Then, for a bonus you started ending the day in the same way, like sort of a decompression of sort.  A short mini routine to help you wind down mentally & physiologically, to relax and in turn you actually slept better and woke up more refreshed. Sounds. Like. Heaven.

Getting intentional about time, how it is spent and how it is used speaks volumes in how the quality of life feels, the types of choices made and the way we spend our ever precious minutes of the day.

Try it. You be the judge.

Maybe it’s having a cup of tea or coffee in the morning and jotting down a few things that you WANT in your life and believe in.  Pick yourself up a really fun or pretty journal that you actually look forward to opening and writing in. It doesn’t have to be long, it can be as easy as: Positive change happens for me, quickly, Miracles happen daily, Opportunity is everywhere, I meet incredible, bold & kick ass people everyday, I truly believe I can have it all, etc…simple. Perhaps it’s listening to a positive podcast or YouTube Video from an inspirational mentor or reading a blog. There’s a lot of options here. For me, my morning routine is a non – negotiable. Traveling, in strange places, super early mornings (like 3:30 a.m. I am talking), wherever I am, my morning routine always consists of:

  • A vitamin cocktail of all of the yummy vitamins my body needs, daily – followed by a swig of aloe vera juice (great gut tamer)
  • A cup of hot peppermint tea, while journaling my intention for the day and what in my life I am creating and what I am open to receiving — and just as important, no longer tolerating
  • A form of exercise **
  • My 2 – 3 minute skincare routine, I mean, of course!**
  • A bit of eye & lip love, usually a messy ‘do and something comfortably cute  for clothes on my bod, depending on my mood **
  • ** all while listening to a mentor, training, podcast, etc…raising my vibe & growing myself

Some days, all before 7 a.m. Are all days easy to drag myself out of bed, nope. Does it take some really loud internal self talk, on some days, you bet. But, the pay off is so, so worth it.

I have found by implementing these easy pieces of my routine into the beginning of my day I am literally READY to tackle the day, negativity bounces off of me way easier and I seriously feel so much better about myself, enabling me to pour into others so much more and without a heavy burden of that feeling of pressure on my shoulders. It’s like I strengthen my virtual shield to repel bullshit and negativity while I maximize my super sexy woman cape to be capable of more than I ever thought I could. This shit works, seriously.

I only wish

I would have discovered the power of this years ago to relieve that heavy pressure. So thankful I have in my life, now!

Give yourself some time to adjust though, you have to stay consistent with this new routine to really experience all of it’s power.

You got this, stay with it, pump yourself up and for heaven’s sake, give yourself a few minutes of self love a day – you SO deserve it.

If you are curious about more ideas on how to incorporate some kind of magical morning into your routine, reach out, let’s connect – I’d love to get to know you a little bit and brainstorm!

Thanks for stopping by.

XX

 

Your Inner Cheerleader or She – Devil?

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I get it, change can be intimidating. As humans, I feel like we can tend to think about change as being something huge, instantly noticeable & even a little bit scary. It’s like we came up with this make-believe story that for change to happen, it has to be something like a life event, change in status, move across country, dramatic hair cut or color, etc…

In my opinion, while those big, epic changes are exhilarating and easy to see, it is the everyday micro – changes that don’t get enough credit. You know,  in our minute to minute decisions in the way we respond, think, feel, act, move, eat,speak —  all of it. These little things all add up to be HUGE overtime and often, something we can immediately notice in our mood, who we attract and our minute by minute reactions & feelings impacting every single thing, like a row of dominoes.

Let’s take something that we all do, self talk. That inner dialogue that happens quite often throughout the day. Granted, surely there is an argument to be made that everyone’s inner critic is different, sometimes a cheerleader, other times a she – devil, but it still remains. What if every time that inner critic piped up with something negative you shut it down? Have you ever noticed how much those quiet thoughts are there? What they are saying? How they are speaking to you? How would they make a close friend or a loved one close to you feel if you said those exact things to them over & over, & over?Would that person feel like worth anything? That what they were striving for was worth it? Would those words make them feel loved or the exact opposite?

This is the thing, the more you can take notice and instead of being so hard on yourself, you actually celebrate more with that inner self critic. Celebrate the small wins. I am talking about the really minor ones…. waking up 5 minutes earlier for some “you” time, taking a few deep breaths when stressed, holding the door for a stranger, having a salad for lunch,  the simple, little things.

Micro – changes. One small choice affects the next and the next. Exactly like how a ripple moves over a pond. You do get to choose your ripple effect and all it takes is noticing one small thing at a time.

Take notice over the next day how and what your inner self is saying to you. How you feel and if it is anything less than how you would treat someone who is so important to you. Then, change that dialogue, seriously celebrate the small things and watch how your new day unfolds.

Love yourself first and you will be amazed how much more love you can give. I so wish I would have learned this many, many years ago – but I am grateful I know now and continue to work on it as I change & evolve in my own life.

Thank you for stopping by.

XX

Renee

Naked Confidence

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We’ve heard it, read it and from time to time many of us experience what true and utter confidence feels like.  Like you can literally DO anything, right? Totally unstoppable. Don’t give a second thought to what anyone else thinks (in the most loving way of course), in your zone and nothing is going to stop you, you won’t let it.  And then, poof, maybe one day something happens out of your control and throws you unsteady, wavering, on the edge just barely able to talk yourself into getting dressed in the morning not let alone put in any effort. Or, maybe you are on the roller coaster ride — you know, one morning you wake up owning the day and while this happens quite often, but still have a few days a week or a month you just don’t feel it.

So how exactly do you recover? How do you just snap back into that amazing feeling and place? How can it be here one day and feel like it is gone the next? Truthfully, it is ALWAYS there, it is up to you (me included) to recognize it, even on the most shittiest of days when anything and everything feels like it is being turned upside down. HANG IN THERE. Trust that you WILL bounce back and be freaking better than ever. How you react during those moments are telling and lay the groundwork for growth, expansion & personal evolvement (ha, is that a word?! SP is telling me no!), but you know what I am saying.

Naked Confidence.

No, I don’t mean standing naked in front of the mirror or streaking across your backyard (or RV Park / Hotel in my case) – strip away the expensive handbags, sunglasses, uber photo filters that erase every laugh line and slims the face just perfectly, forget the size “mini – me” pants size obsession, thigh gap goal and no root days, ever. I mean really, take the pressure off! I am talking about naked confidence, WHO and WHAT you feel at your your core. Inside, out without all of the flashy stuff. Truuust me when I say I like fun, new & sometimes expensive items, a sexy lipstick and a great hair day, but take it all away and what do you have? That’s my point. Once that is paid attention to, worked on (yes, exactly like a muscle) and developed more & more from the inside out — those days, those days you are like where the hell did my confidence go become fewer & fewer in-between as you rock that inner, naked confidence regardless.

I totally get it, it can be really hard to love yourself in a world that is filter crazy, photo shopped and told through carefully posed photos on social media. We are all guilty from time to time, but come back, always come back to YOU and work that inner confidence muscle that gets stronger if you spend some time with it.

You.

You are doing just fine.

You are EXACTLY where you need to be at this moment.

You have so much to give, just being you.

You are worthy of every single thing that you receive and more.

You ARE truly doing amazing.

Think it.

Say it.

Believe it.

Let go of being so hard on yourself. Love the imperfections, the silly mishaps, the freaking roller coaster of life and laugh it off. That’s what makes you, you.

Breathe.

Celebrate YOU.

You have everything you NEED, right inside of YOU. Go ahead, give it a little attention and notice what happens. 😉

XX

~ Renee