Transitioning my body. {With giveaway}

Warm weather always brings me face to face with my body issues. The way I see myself and the way I feel in my skin become my obsession. I like 3/4 tight sleeves and skinny jeans and boots. Letting my skin face the air is hard. I struggle with the change of season.

Last year I wore jeans and yoga pants all summer. It was hot. I was sensitive. This year before it gets smokin' hot I decided to transition my body slowly, the way I would ask my five year old to take on.

I went shopping. I tucked some feelings in my pocket.

happy.

fun.

sexy.

Building a summer wardrobe on happiness, fun and that feeling of super sexy inside your skin; ba-bam. This means facing some demons lurking in the summer shadows. And so happy is my guide.

When do I feel the most beautiful in my skin? When I am happy. When do I feel sexy? When I am confident. When do I have fun? When I am happy and sexy.

I've got lots of new layering tanks that I buy inexpensively at TJ Maxx. This sweater to throw over on these inbetween days or at night around the fire pit literally jumped off its hanger and into my hands. I adore it.

I even bought some crazy short shorts that stretch on my waist to throw on for the beach trips, car packed with quilt and picnic.

Summer is to me big jewelry. Bright. Stunning colors on glowing sunkissed skin. Loving this and this and this.

I mixed some inexpensive items, like tank tops and shorts with some pieces like this skirt from Anthro where I invest a bit more.

Here is the biggest key to all of this. I got rid of all the summer things that I had that feel awful on me. That fit wrong. That aren't me. That I just bought in panic and desperation. I filled a garbage bag of them. They don't serve me. They keep me so down about who am I rather than allowing me to celebrate the shit out of who I am now.

This summer my thirst is for feeling delicious in my skin. For emobodying happy. For glowing under the sun in my short shorts.

I found this beautiful kimono that I thought would make a perfect summer wake up robe for sitting on the porch sipping my coffee (hot as long as possible before I start to ice it) with bare legs and a long tank top, watching my garden grow bigger each day.

I got one for me and one for you. Well, one of you. It is a size M, it is generous, quite free flowing and open. The colors are a bit out of my color story but the black won me over.

Here is the way to enter the giveaway which will close 5/24/14.

Just leave a comment on this post telling us what summer is guiding you towards...a word or phrase that holds what you most want to feel this year as the sun shines just a bit hotter down on us.

Then I will grab a random winner on the 24th and send the kimono, with probably a few other surprises out.

My HSP favorite things.

When my 5 year old screams because he has to change his pants and can't transition from one pair into the next I can feel it. He is a highly sensitive child with highly sensitive skin. I have the same skin. I remember as a child the feeling of a sweater on my skin making me want to climb out of my body.

I spent years buying clothes in stores that I loved but when I got home would put on and change within 10 minutes. My husband would know the level of my sensitivity based on how many piles of clothes were laying on the floor after a manic morning trying on outfit after outfit.

Once I discovered these Etsy designers getting dressed changed. I stopped spending money on clothes that ended up at Salvation Army and invested more money in fewer pieces.

Here is what I need. Soft, soft fabric. It needs to flow and feel like part of how I move. I need my color story. Black, white, grey, mocha. Mostly black. I feel right in that story.

These are some of my favorites.

1. Onor oversized sweater, feels like a throw back to my youth. The sweater I would have always wanted. I have trouble feeling comfortable in sweaters. This one I can wear. Not scratchy and in my favorite slouchy style. Don't get thrown by the maternity listing, all of her shirts are big but you don't need to be pregnant. I own so many of her shirts and can't get enough. I can't wear tight shirts over my belly and so this style is the one I have been so excited to find.

2. LeMuse evening cotton black asymmetric dress. I feel fully like myself in this dress. I wear it with a chunky belt and long socks with sassy boots. It feels like the softest fabric falling over your skin.

3. Marcella Moda clothes fill my closet. The butterfly. I have 2 of these and it is the shirt I put on when I feel wrong in my skin. When I can't get dressed without feeling a bit panicked. They are 20% off today and I will probably get another! Maybe in another color. I feel beautiful in this shirt.

4. Trixy Xchange long black arm warmers. I live in these. I don't like long sleeves, I prefer a 3/4 sleeve (my sensitivity thing) or sleeves that I can push up to 3/4 and so putting on these makes me a little warmer and feel really cozy and funky.

And these are some of my favorite things.

1. Trust yourself is my scent. Anna is amazing. The description of this alone makes you feel more in your body.

2. Patina Pleat Ring my favorite ring. I lost it. My kid said, "Maybe it is in the toilet and someone flushed it." And since it is the last place I left it, the bathroom not the toilet, I kind of think it may have been flushed. I asked for a new one for Christmas.

3. Buy music directly from the artist. Jonatha is beyond incredible, she is a spirit guide of voice and story.

4. Not shown is my favorite new infinity scarf. I have it in black and probably need it in another color. Infinity scarves are the only ones I can wear, they don't fall off or need adjusting. They make an outfit go from boring to put together. And I think they feel sexy.

A little lipstick talk with mascara thrown in.

 

 1. 2. Bite lipstick in Moscato and Sancerre. It is so smooth and gorgeous and cashmere-like.

3. Heat wave. Hot. Yummy. Sexy.

4. Love this stuff, love the bamboo.

A few of my favorite things. Happy Holidays loves.

And They Say {10 Quotes for my Kind of Joy}

Coming Soon...

"You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings."

- Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love)

"Each day I do the dirty work, the effort that attracts no notice but my own, and in this very place I find the ordinary ingredients for genuine fulfillment. It starts the moment my eyes open, as I rise with the sun to sort and stack the dishes, appreciating this simple task as the essential start to a healthy day."

- Karen Maezen Miller (Hand Wash Cold)

“I do it for the joy it brings, cause I'm a joyful girl. 'Cause the world owes us nothing, we owe each other the world.”

- Ani Defranco (Joyful Girl)

"When you wish someone joy, you wish them peace, love, prosperity, happiness ...  all the good things."

- Maya Angelou

"I looked a hundred times and all I saw was dust. The sun broke through and flecks of gold filled the air."

- Mark Nepo (The Book of Awakening)

"We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves."

- Guatama Buddha

"Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts."

- Thich Nhat Hanh

"Joy is a sustained sense of well-being and internal peace - a connection to what matters."

- Oprah

"Every blade of grass has its angel that bends over it and whispers, grow."

-Talmud

"I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures."

- Lao Tzu

Right Now Your Future

I have this well earned ability to compare myself to others down to the way they organize their Pinterest boards. Clever titles and things all neatly grouped. Mine are just a big jumble of beauty and inspiration. I finally pulled out all of my tattoo pins and made a board just for them. That felt like an achievement. No type A in this body, completely none. I'm like Z or Q or X.

I run with this mixture of wanting to be a stand out for my uniqueness and expressions and longing to blend into the pack just a bit more. I can lose site of my special in the world. Deep core needs created as a child blur the scene.

The magic is the deep core belief I also held as a child that I was going to serve and heal and make sure others knew how special they were.

Slightly frightening integrating all of this when creating a heart centered business, marketing inside of this New Economy we are reading about. Stand out, blend in, market with a formula, buck the system.

The very first program I created led to 1 and 1/2 (discount offered) people paying me. I asked a few others to join for free. I had a group. I had a program. I had a place to practice what I wanted to build. Those 1 and 1/2 people had enough faith in me to support my vision and want to be guided by me. And yes, things have grown.

They are the reason I kept going. That small amount of faith, those first 'yeses' were momentum and joy.

Your tiny numbers that get you down are actually your future about to stretch out before you if you let them. They are faith from the Universe that you can do this. Your now is creating your future.

Thank them. Honor them. Adore them.

Adore yourself while you are there.

I woke up with a fire in my belly this morning (hello FB status of the day!) wanting to call bullshit on labeling how people price their products and services. Pricing is an exploration, a practice. How many times I was told I was undervaluing myself when all I was doing was simply exploring, practicing, playing, creating.

There are plenty of ways to undervalue ourselves, it isn't just with money. And my prices don't tell you how I'm valuing myself, my actions do. The way I show up in the world.

My business has doubled in earnings every year since I started. As a mom who has been home with all three of my kids, currently still hanging out daily with the three year old, I am crazy proud of what I'm building. I love that my clients can email me when they are nursing their babies to sleep and I can email back when Lucas is watching a show or playing with cars and power rangers. I've raised and lowered my prices. I give a lot of it away for free. (I fully intend to free my husband from a job he hates.)

I connect, because that is one of my mad-hot qualities.

Our businesses need breathing room to grow. They also require us to tap into, fully, our gorgeous selves. The more I honor and talk about my sensitive constitution the more my business and life expand.

Today's email with a highly-sensitive client was all about her hair. How she could find someone to honor the natural flow of her hair and cut it in a way that felt good to her and was less of a fuss to style. The Joy Up Tribe chat was all about unruly, or what I love to call wildly gorgeous hair, for days. Pictures were taken, hair was left natural and we loved each other up.

My client hired me to coach her business. We talk about hair. And the flow of being sensitive. There are more ways to undervalue ourselves than just money.

I know you want, you want it. You can see it, taste it, you dream about it with tears in your eyes.

It is now.
Not in 5 years.
Now.
Those 1 and 1/2 clients.
The two words in your Ebook.
The kiss on the lips of the man you've loved for 14 years.
Wearing your stunning heels.

It is now. Prayers for tomorrow are created today.

The ABC’s of Self-Love: J is for Joy

This Blog Crawl of Self-Love is hosted by Molly Mahar of Stratejoy. She is a glowing mama to be who believes in the transformational power of truly adoring ourselves. I happen to adore her and am lingering in the joy of being part of the fun! Find out more about The ABC’s of Self Love Blog Crawl + Treasure Hunt here.

 

Hello gorgeous,

I hear you are on a treasure hunt and today you and I get to play with a word that lights up the soul. Joy, gorgeous, that sassy 3 letter word that guides us into possibility.

Joy is a sparkle inside. It tickles, it tingles, it plays. It is like the breeze blowing through your hair, and the sun shining down on you.

It is dancing or a calm breath.

Joy is adapting, flowing, allowing.

It is found after a long cry or inside of releasing.

Joy is the feather you watch fall from the sky, speckled and blue.

Joy wants you to see her depth and understand that she is always wanting to be with you. Joy believes in you and will lift you up when you start to make a practice of rituals that feed your spirit.

Joy can live inside of you, at all times. It is your option. Joy draws others to you, they are attracted to your sparkle. Joy does not mean you do not feel sadness or fear or pain or disappointment. Joy means that you feel extra, joy cushions you through the tough times.
It's time. For whatever you want. How are you going to get there?

By choosing.

Really that simple? Oh yes, darling, it is.

The Universe is responding, but it takes doing the work and feeling the stuff and choosing to move into the joy.

Learning to sparkle.

This shift into joy isn’t a declaration that we will never be sad or pissed off again. It is a message to the wondrous Universe that we know what we want. The Universe feels your passion for more joy and shoots it back at you with a crystal-clear sparkle. Sort of sha-zam like or fairy dust or bad-ass tattoo on the spirit.

Be clear. Surprise yourself. Take a chance. Dream big. Love you.

Don’t know what you want? Great, start there. Think about what you don’t want and let it be the mirror you look into to see what is really inside of you. I love a good don’t-know, so many surprises lie inside. Joy is waiting just there for you.

Let the thoughts of what you don’t want lead your way to the thought that feels better, and then as quickly as you can, grab it, look at it, play with it a bit. You can do this, this is the path to the gorgeous, joyful life.

You want it to be a more difficult journey, and you’ll try to make it that way. I know. We all do that. We get used to focusing on the things that feel worse, on our frustrations or the ways in which we’ve screwed up or been wronged. Few sparkles are found in that world.

Let’s try another path. You gorgeous, you get to spin around and in this very moment make a decision that you are going to choose joy. Then you get to watch joys appear abundantly in your every day, simple moments.

Joy is so beautiful inside of simple pleasures.

You are worth this. I am too.

Claiming our joy.
Calming our minds.
Sizzling in our passions.

Jumping up and waving our arms to wake up our tired bodies.
Smooching our loves when the moment feels so right. Or when they need us most.
Clearing the corners of our homes, filling our lives with beauty.

This is the butterflies fluttering on your head life.

Possibility.
Choice.
Love.
Joy.

5 Rituals to Feed Your Spirit and Cultivate Joy

1. Start each day with a large glass of lemon water. It is liver-loving, cleansing-detoxifying, nightly-fast-breaking and just pure body loving.

2. Make your bed, it should look and feel beautiful to you. Start with clean sheets and fluff your pillows each day, to clear space and create a sanctuary for rest and supporting your sleep. This is your number one sacred space.

3. Do a 5 minute meditation each and every day. This is one of the most important steps. You'll be tempted to skip it. Don't. This is the sparkle maker.

4. Quickly pick up the house before starting any projects or making any decisions. A clear space is a clear mind. A clear mind allows for more joy. More joy is what we are after.

5. Move your body: a dance, a walk or other creative movements! Just move baby. Dancing strongly encouraged.

Feeling the love? xo

Hey Gorgeous, One Size Doesn't Fit You

Want to move into the gorgeous life and have a little raw kale, butterflies fluttering on your head kind of fun? Of course you do!

Each Sunday I will be posting a new Hey Gorgeous tip that is simple and fun. I am a believer that what we put out we attract and I am looking for some simple and some fun. I want my tribe to feel sexy and gorgeous and inspired. I want you to pay-it-forward when you feel inspired by a tid-bit and create the ripple that the joy of loving yourself up, healthy style brings. Yes, that means we might have to share this with the guys (*wink* at the guys who are here already)!

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We are all unique. Finding our perfect form of exercise and nutrition makes us so over the moon with joy we want to share it with the world. But your perfect may not be mine. In fact, it probably isn't. Know why there are so many dietary theories out there? Because we need them all.

We have unique blood types, genetics, heritages and bodies. Even those who know their best plans are often swept up by the latest health craze or book. It may work, it may make you sick. It is not a one size fits all world and you are not a one size fits all gorgeous being. Allow yourself to shine in your uniqueness and eat what makes you feel good and move your body in a way that brings you joy and a clear mind.

You may be a vegan raw food goddess or a pastured meat and grow your own vegetables paleo goddess. At times in your life you may feel better as one and then grow into the other. I don't know your future but I know your now. Don't try to fit into someone else's beautiful. You won't get to the gorgeous life that way.

Be proud of what you have learned about yourself and keep doing the work of discovery.

Keep testing and trying and learning more. That's the world you want to be in. Your own story.

Hey Gorgeous, Ratatouille isn't just a RAT!

Want to move into the gorgeous life and have a little raw kale, butterflies fluttering on your head kind of fun? Of course you do!

Each Sunday I will be posting a new Hey Gorgeous tip that is simple and fun. I am a believer that what we put out we attract and I am looking for some simple and some fun. I want my tribe to feel sexy and gorgeous and inspired. I want you to pay-it-forward when you feel inspired by a tid-bit and create the ripple that the joy of loving yourself up, healthy style brings. Yes, that means we might have to share this with the guys (*wink* at the guys who are here already)!

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The flavors of summer are starting to burst and as your gardens and Farmer's Markets start to overflow with squash you can get your seasonal glow on. The taste of a fresh picked squash or tomato will make you shy away from eating foods out of season and talk you into doing some harvest preserving (think jams, sauces, pickles)!

We can get our glow on with ratatouille, the meal, not the rat. Ratatouille is a pot full of summer freshness and can be served with pasta, rice, chicken, fish, eggs or mussels. To get your ratatouille started heat some olive oil and add onion, garlic, squash, tomato, eggplant, basil and if you want to be truly authentic some herbes de provence. Squash and eggplant soak up the oil so keep adding the olive oil until the vegetables are nice and covered. Do a quick high heat saute, try not to turn the entire pot to mush, but if you do, it is still gorgeous eating!

Nothing gets your taste buds bursting with freshness like this beautiful blend of harvest offerings. If you are feeling like connecting to the seasonal goodness without taking too much time in a hot kitchen, go get your glow on with ratatouille. Think backyard with your favorite people, sipping a fragrant wine and enjoying a bowl of ratatouille topped with mussels or over rice pasta, oh honey! Set a beautiful table, pick some fresh flowers and just enjoy the glowing that comes from being a part of the summer season.

That's the gorgeous life.

Hey Gorgeous, Feel the Rhythm!

Want to move into the gorgeous life and have a little raw kale, butterflies fluttering on your head kind of fun? Of course you do!

Each Sunday I will be posting a new Hey Gorgeous tip that is simple and fun. I am a believer that what we put out we attract and I am looking for some simple and some fun. I want my tribe to feel sexy and gorgeous and inspired. I want you to pay-it-forward when you feel inspired by a tid-bit and create the ripple that the joy of loving yourself up, healthy style brings. Yes, that means we might have to share this with the guys (*wink* at the guys who are here already)!

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The best way to create a life of joy is to tap into your rhythm. Sure, go ahead and dance, but the rhythm I'm talking about is your daily process. The Joy UP is going to fill you with so much crazy rhythm and here is how it starts. Waking each day with water.

You gorgeous creatures need to be slippery inside so your glow radiates.

A squeeze of lemon in that water and you are adding a natural cleanser for your body that tastes oh-so-delicious.

How many of us are walking around with a little bit of dehydration because we don't take the time to nurture our basic needs? It starts with water and it ends with water. The more raw vegetables and fruits you are having increases the water in your luscious bods, so munch it up. Try some carrot and cucumber "chips" with your next guacamole or hummus.

Your rhythm is about making a practice of each nurturing thing you do.

Water is just the beginning of this rhythm you can create. Once you start with that small step of taking time to sip, your practice will increase and that rhythm will be part of your collection of joy.

Come tap into your rhythm with The Joy UP, because you deserve to live in the raw kale, butterflies fluttering on your head life.

You deserve the gorgeous life.

Hey Gorgeous, Be Gracious!

Want to move into the gorgeous life and have a little raw kale, butterflies fluttering on your head kind of fun? Of course you do!

Each Sunday I will be posting a new Hey Gorgeous tip that is simple and fun. I am a believer that what we put out we attract and I am looking for some simple and some fun. I want my tribe to feel sexy and gorgeous and inspired. I want you to pay-it-forward when you feel inspired by a tid-bit and create the ripple that the joy of loving yourself up, healthy style brings. Yes, that means we might have to share this with the guys (*wink* at the guys who are here already)!

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Gratitude will flip your life around and bring so many hidden treasures you won't know what hit you! The best place to start with this daily practice of gracious living is every time you eat. Even better, when you peel your carrots and chop your celery. Start feeling and talking about the gratitude for each bite that goes into your body and you will start to eat more of the foods that make your body gorgeous. (Hint, it isn't the exact same formula for everyone.)

It may seem weird to show gratitude for a hash brown, but once the love for the potato factory is given, you'll see how much more aware of your food sources you become. The more aware=more kale and butterflies fluttering around your divine self.

Prayers and blessings before a meal can be simple, but you have to keep practicing. Forget a few times, just go right back to a simple show of gratitude before you sip your wine and take your first bite of eggplant fritter. It is going to taste better and you will start to understand just how much your body needs to feel satisfied and nurtured. Eating chips in the closet rarely produces such consciousness.

Gratitude is consciousness. It pulls more and more into your life of what you truly wish for.

I'll tell you a little something else...I am so ever grateful for all of you. Each person reading this right now, feel the gratitude I am sending for you, to you and hold it as your own.

Hey Gorgeous, Don't be Sorry!

Want to move into the gorgeous life and have a little raw kale, butterflies fluttering on your head kind of fun? Of course you do!

Each Sunday I will be posting a new Hey Gorgeous tip that is simple and fun. I am a believer that what we put out we attract and I am looking for some simple and some fun. I want my tribe to feel sexy and gorgeous and inspired. I want you to pay-it-forward when you feel inspired by a tid-bit and create the ripple that the joy of loving yourself up, healthy style brings. Yes, that means we might have to share this with the guys (*wink* at the guys who are here already)!

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Let's get something clear right now, before we go any further in this gorgeous journey - there is nothing to apologize for. OK, if you rear end someone, please do say sorry. For where you are now in your life, no sorry necessary! Drowning ourselves apologizing for where we are is only keeping us there. We want to move forward. (Remember, raw kale and butterflies fluttering on your head?)

Sorry is a vibration of lack, of less and a place holder for excuses. What if we remove that feeling of needing to justify our now, and just linger in the truth of it?

Is your house a mess... yep. Has it been 2 weeks since you've posted on your blog... uh-huh! Has it been 5 months since you've seen your friend... um-yes.

Your sorry serves as one more way to stay where you don't want to be, but kinda really do. It is easier to say sorry for that messy house than it is to find a rhythm to clean it or to stand in the truth of possibly being judged by others when they see your piles of laundry that need to be folded and put away.

It can be simply scary to own where we are now. To be so busy we feel unable to do anything right or stay on task. Putting out the I'm sorry is part of why we can't figure out how to unwrap ourselves from the chaos and inertia. Could it be so simple? Can you stop apologizing for the messy litter box and the dishes piled high?

There is no better time to find out gorgeous friends. I want you to honor where you are. From that place you can find a path -you can join this amazing journey- to the gorgeous life.

Hey Gorgeous, Self Sizzle!

Want to move into the gorgeous life and have a little raw kale, butterflies fluttering on your head kind of fun? Of course you do!

Each Sunday I will be posting a new Hey Gorgeous tip that is simple and fun. I am a believer that what we put out we attract and I am looking for some simple and some fun. I want my tribe to feel sexy and gorgeous and inspired. I want you to pay-it-forward when you feel inspired by a tid-bit and create the ripple that the joy of loving yourself up, healthy style brings. Yes, that means we might have to share this with the guys (*wink* at the guys who are here already)!

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Two hot ways to move into the gorgeous is kicking those toxins out the door and getting intimate with your skin. You are going to need to look at yourself and start to get some sizzle started with your body.

Time to scrub those beautiful bods until they are glowing!

Hot towel scrub is how we are doing it today.

Fill a sink of hot water. Grab a soft washcloth and soak it. Ring it out so it is holding only that nice steam. Start to rub your skin. Start anywhere, legs, feet, arms, belly. If you work from your extremities in towards your arm pits and groin you will help your lymphatic system drain out more of the nasty bits. When the cloth cools off, dip it again and repeat.

This scrubbing also releases incredible energy of a peaceful kind through the body. You will improve circulation. The pores open up and start to move those toxins out (that's why we tend to break out)!

This sizzling scrub allows you to get real with yourself in a beautiful way. Standing there naked with a wash cloth, it's not a time to obsess on everything that you think is wrong with you. It is a time to enjoy who you are, linger in the gorgeous that is you. Scrub that belly or those thighs and make peace with those more wiggly jiggly sections.

Dancing in the gorgeous life means finding a way to love that temple of yours and sizzle in all of its beauty. The parts of your body that challenge you the most are your ticket to freedom, and gorgeous loves to feel free.

Hey Gorgeous, Skip the Rules!

Want to move into the gorgeous life and have a little raw kale, butterflies fluttering on your head kind of fun? Of course you do!

Each Sunday I will be posting a new Hey Gorgeous tip that is simple and fun. I am a believer that what we put out we attract and I am looking for some simple and some fun. I want my tribe to feel sexy and gorgeous and inspired. I want you to pay-it-forward when you feel inspired by a tid-bit and create the ripple that the joy of loving yourself up, healthy style brings. Yes, that means we might have to share this with the guys (*wink* at the guys who are here already)!

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Got the chatter? It's the beauty of being these incredible humans on the planet but it also can make us do the crazy dance, the mind chatter. The meditation moments that lead to frustration because our little chatter won't stop, not even to take a cleansing breath.

Here is the truth of this eat your greens - move your body - do what you love - hydrate - think beautiful thoughts life: you don't have any rules. Stop looking for them and tear them up when you find some. They don't apply to you. The only thing that applies to you, right now, is what feels beautiful and allows your life to open up just a bit more.

Want to meditate? Yes, yes, yes...

Want to quiet your mind? Um, of course...

Give up if you can't? Well, ah, kind of...

If you have 5 minutes, you have an opening to start a meditation practice. That is far too much pressure gorgeous, let's call it 5 minute stillness. There are no rules, just you and stillness. Maybe it involves a mediation pillow or candles. It may have some special stones on a shelf, but really, it is you and stillness. It is your breath taking you to the place your soul needs moments of in each day.

No rules, you can count, you can use a guided meditation, you can repeat a beautiful phrase such as Satnam (Sat on the inhale, Nam on the exhale) you can lie down or you can sit up. Don't let "rules" be an excuse for skipping out on this gorg-ifying step.

5 minutes of stillness, that's your gorgeous life.

Hey Gorgeous, Enjoy it all!

Want to move into the gorgeous life and have a little raw kale, butterflies fluttering on your head kind of fun? Of course you do!

Each Sunday I will be posting a new Hey Gorgeous tip that is simple and fun. I am a believer that what we put out we attract and I am looking for some simple and some fun. I want my tribe to feel sexy and gorgeous and inspired. I want you to pay-it-forward when you feel inspired by a tid-bit and create the ripple that the joy of loving yourself up, healthy style brings. Yes, that means we might have to share this with the guys (*wink* at the guys who are here already)!

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Those eggs white mixtures in the cartons and the people tossing out of perfectly healthy yolks just make me frown. But are those eggs healthy? If they come from a Farmer you trust they are. Your regular supermarket style egg is not where you want to look for nutrition and you can skip those eggs altogether.

It is all about the chicken gorgeous. A healthy, well fed, well loved chicken that roams around in the grass, with sunlight for the taking, lays the most beautiful orange colored yolks you can imagine. Think you know what eggs taste like? Not if you are eating the knock offs. Not only are those eggs not nutritionally sound because of what the chicken are eating, but those birds are given no sunlight, no love, no joy, no hope. That is what you are eating when you bite into your egg salad from suffering birds. Make a difference in this world, in your life, in an animal's life.

Eating eggs for nutrition means starting with the best source you can find. You will save money because you are getting more nutrition in one of those happy eggs than you ever will find in a carton of the sad ones. Being gorgeous means understanding our food, where it comes from, how it is raised and grown. Our gorgeous is part of this world's gorgeous.

Nutritionally, a healthy, happy egg, is a powerhouse. No need to worry about it raising your cholesterol for goodness sakes. High quality eggs are rich in vitamins A and D and choline. (All really amazing things for you!) When you scramble or fry them use coconut oil and give yourself a power packed, good-for-you fat content meal. The smell is incredible and put a little salsa and avocado on those scrambled eggs, wow!

Make a choice in your gorgeous and sparkling life. Eat the good ones, yolk and all.

Hey Gorgeous, Top or Bottom?

Want to move into the gorgeous life and have a little raw kale, butterflies fluttering on your head kind of fun? Of course you do!

Each Sunday I will be posting a new Hey Gorgeous tip that is simple and fun. I am a believer that what we put out we attract and I am looking for some simple and some fun. I want my tribe to feel sexy and gorgeous and inspired. I want you to pay-it-forward when you feel inspired by a tid-bit and create the ripple that the joy of loving yourself up, healthy style brings. Yes, that means we might have to share this with the guys (*wink* at the guys who are here already)!

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Up or down, all or nothing, top or bottom - those are playing small and small is not moving us into gorgeous. We like extremes because they make sense, especially when it comes to negative thinking. It's one way thinking. One way thinking is one way believing. One way believing is our ticket to going nowhere butterflies flutter.

I'm exhausted. I am depressed. Life is hard. Why do I always do this? I am afraid. I'll never be able to do that. I don't want this.

Instead of believing that we have to get from down to up, why don't we surf around for some beauty in between? Maybe you don't want this. Maybe you thought you had a different idea of what your gorgeous life would look like. Truth is, we don't get to decide everything, we only get to jump on our boards, ride the wave and make a decision to understand what this little lesson is teaching us. I prefer to learn. How about you?

Can you change? Hell yes you can. Can you turn it around? If you want to. Is it all or nothing? Not ever.

Let's just stop thinking we have to get from one to the other and start to understand why we are where we are. Once we do that all we need to do is take a little action and things start to turn around, they change as we move into the beauty of what is the now. Surfing in the now. It's the gorgeous life. And you can do it from either position, top or bottom.

Hey Gorgeous, Post Rapture Celebration!

Want to move into the gorgeous life and have a little raw kale, butterflies fluttering on your head kind of fun? Of course you do!

Each Sunday I will be posting a new Hey Gorgeous tip that is simple and fun. I am a believer that what we put out we attract and I am looking for some simple and some fun. I want my tribe to feel sexy and gorgeous and inspired. I want you to pay-it-forward when you feel inspired by a tid-bit and create the ripple that the joy of loving yourself up, healthy style brings. Yes, that means we might have to share this with the guys (*wink* at the guys who are here already)!

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How did you celebrate rapture yesterday? Chances are none of you really thought things were ending but something amazing comes out of a day like yesterday.

Hope. Faith. Gratitude.

It can take a reminder of somewhat outrageous proportions to remember them. Hope for a world that is beautiful and resilient to the changes that are upon it always. Faith that love and connection are the purpose for all of us here. Gratitude for all we are capable of, for all that is yet to come.

We should find ways to celebrate even more of life and it's gorgeousness! Celebrations of small successes, celebrations of our worth and contribution, celebrations of others. Post rapture bliss is the wonder of being here, on this planet, creating and glorifying our world.

Let's make a deal gorgeous, you and me. Let's do one thing that is challenging, that makes us uncomfortable and want to crawl under the covers. One thing. That one act is a celebration of our hope, faith and gratitude. Moving through space that is comfortable - into a dream, a wish, a what-if - is our ticket to this celebration.

Ready? Let's do this together.

Hey Gorgeous, Some Like it Raw!

Want to move into the gorgeous life and have a little raw kale, butterflies fluttering on your head kind of fun? Of course you do!

Each Sunday I will be posting a new Hey Gorgeous tip that is simple and fun. I am a believer that what we put out we attract and I am looking for some simple and some fun. I want my tribe to feel sexy and gorgeous and inspired. I want you to pay-it-forward when you feel inspired by a tid-bit and create the ripple that the joy of loving yourself up, healthy style brings. Yes, that means we might have to share this with the guys (*wink* at the guys who are here already)!

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Enzymes, life force and the power of healing the body are found in food just as it is harvested. You may have heard of the raw food movement going on, people ditching their stoves and pots and pans for dehydrators, blenders and spiral slicers. The transition into lasagna made from zucchini slices and cashew cheese might sound like a wild ride you never want to be part of, but I'm going to show you how to embrace the raw without intimidation.

You can't separate gorgeous from life force so let's look at why we must like it raw. Our body has it's own enzymes that help us digest food, heal our body and stay oh-so-young looking. They are our gorgeous. When we eat food that is cooked it no longer contains its own enzymes, which means that our body must contribute its own. It is like a withdrawal from the bank, you can keep spending but if you don't put more in, you are going to go into debt. Our enzyme debt is dis-ease, old skin, gaining weight, feeling tired and just plain old blah.

The best time to make a deposit is during the spring and summer when sprouts are popping up and gardens are filling up with raw bounty. You feel hot and sweaty, you don't want to turn on your oven. Time for the raw. Let's start simple and then you can move into the lasagna.

• smoothies, some frozen fruit, greens and water
• salads layered with sprouts and chopped or grated veggies
• salad dressings with olive oil, lemon, and fresh herbs
• marinated green beans, broccoli with some olive oil, salt and vinegar
• my favorite, raw strawberry cheesecake (it's a recipe from my cleanse, but I'll share it)

Ready to add some raw into your life? Time to feel the gorgeous and maybe even break up with your microwave, because you are just too hot for that appliance.

Hey Gorgeous, Honor Thyself!

Want to move into the gorgeous life and have a little raw kale, butterflies fluttering on your head kind of fun? Of course you do!

Each Sunday I will be posting a new Hey Gorgeous tip that is simple and fun. I am a believer that what we put out we attract and I am looking for some simple and some fun. I want my tribe to feel sexy and gorgeous and inspired. I want you to pay-it-forward when you feel inspired by a tid-bit and create the ripple that the joy of loving yourself up, healthy style brings. Yes, that means we might have to share this with the guys (*wink* at the guys who are here already)!

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How often are we looking outside of ourselves for happiness, peace, joy and validation? I think Mother's Day is a fine place to start honoring ourselves. Truly you mothers are outrageous vessels of love, nurture, accomplishments and outstanding efforts. Why do you end up exhausted, eating potato chips out of the closet and guggling diet soda instead of honoring yourself as the amazing creatures you are? I know why.

You don't have enough support gorgeous, and I'm not talking about your husband making the kids lunches or the cleaning service you hired. You don't have enough support until you believe that you are worth it; that you, all you create and dream of and want is worth it. There is a reason I am so passionate about you making your vision boards, because that one step alone says, you are worth it.

What you aren't worth is dieting, believing you aren't good enough, tantrums, sickness, exhaustion, isolation, criticism (from or to) and martyrdom.

You are worth joy, a calm mind, space, touch, love, beautiful food, incredible connection, compliments (from and to) and your love.

Honor yourself gorgeous, because until you learn to give it to yourself, you block out all the good stuff that could be coming your way. Tell the truth, wash dishes because they are dirty - not with resentment at their dirt. Make your bed because it makes your day better. Put on an amazing pair of jeans knowing that you will feel oh so good and sexy. Eat kale with the knowledge that you are so 100% worth that life force.

I know you'll keep looking for things to be wrong with you, that are never good enough. You can keep hiking that trail, but I can save you some time. Start swimming in the love of your life and your beauty and I can promise the search for your shortcomings will be long forgotten.

Happy Mother's Day gorgeous ones.

Hey Gorgeous, Chew on it!

Want to move into the gorgeous life and have a little raw kale, butterflies fluttering on your head kind of fun? Of course you do!

Each Sunday I will be posting a new Hey Gorgeous tip that is simple and fun. I am a believer that what we put out we attract and I am looking for some simple and some fun. I want my tribe to feel sexy and gorgeous and inspired. I want you to pay-it-forward when you feel inspired by a tid-bit and create the ripple that the joy of loving yourself up, healthy style brings. Yes, that means we might have to share this with the guys (*wink* at the guys who are here already)!

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I know that you are in a rush, a rush to get to the end of the day or finish something. When you rush to finish your food, sorry gorgeous, this isn't working for your joyful life. I'm going to slow you down baby.

I know you thought smoothies were your ticket to fast moving in the morning or through the afternoon. Smoothies have become your secret weapon to moving faster and getting to...wherever you are going way too fast. Sorry, it's time chew. Saliva contains salivary amylase, which helps to break down the carbohydrates. It starts as soon as you look at your delicious green smoothie and your mouth starts watering. Yes, a good blender makes it easier to get in a huge amount of greens, and the smoothies are so good, but you still need to give them a chew, even the smooth silky ones.

It's not just the smoothies that need some toothy love, but everything you eat. Slow down. Your body is aware of every thought you think, if you are rushing, your body knows that it won't be able to truly digest your food in the most beneficial ways. We are going to slow you down today. Let your saliva and all the other digestive enzymes do their job. Stop rushing to nowhere, let's be here now.

• Put down your fork in between bites. When a bite goes in, your fork gently lays on your plate, and you chew.
• Grab a pair of eco-chic chopsticks, some nice bamboo ones that you can re-use. Chopsticks slow anyone down.
• Eat with amazing company. You will talk, laugh, enjoy and savor when you are with beautiful people.
• Honor the process. Think about the work you ask your body to do every time you eat. Show some gratitude and slow down.
• Remember you are living in your temple. Act accordingly.
• Make it fun, challenge yourself. Can you chew one bite 50 times, it's harder than you think. (Kids love this one!)

You ready to take your next tip for living the gorgeous life and allow it to change your life?

I say, the only thing you have to lose is your gorgeous.

Hey Gorgeous, the Chicken or the Egg?

Want to move into the gorgeous life and have a little raw kale, butterflies fluttering on your head kind of fun? Of course you do!

Each Sunday I will be posting a new Hey Gorgeous tip that is simple and fun. I am a believer that what we put out we attract and I am looking for some simple and some fun. I want my tribe to feel sexy and gorgeous and inspired. I want you to pay-it-forward when you feel inspired by a tid-bit and create the ripple that the joy of loving yourself up, healthy style brings. Yes, that means we might have to share this with the guys (*wink* at the guys who are here already)!

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Which came first - the good feeling or the reason we feel so sparkly and good? There's a riddle to solve! Sometimes we need to give ourselves a little push to get to where we want to be. Like the classic refusal to buy nice clothes until you lose weight. What if you have your chicken and egg backwards? Perhaps some nice clothes is what could bring you to lose the weight and move down into the size you want.

Hmn, I've got you thinking now. I love to do that.

If we are always waiting for the chicken to come from the egg, but refusing to acknowledge that the chicken lays the egg, we might be missing some serious opportunity in the gorgeous department. When we allow ourselves to feel good in the now, we draw more feel good into our lives. It feels good to be a comfortable weight for our body. When you dress the body you have with gorgeous and sparkle, you just might start feeling and treating your body with the same.

Impressions matter, and that impression you get each day, staring back at you in the mirror, is the most important. It starts with you. Is it a waste of money to treat yourself like the beautiful creature you are now? Chicken and the egg, you can wait around to find out, but I say jump in and celebrate you today.

Here are some quick ideas for some gorgeous now:

• put on a little mascara on a day when you usually lounge around the house, notice the difference
• find some beautiful shoes that when you wear them, make you feel your sparkle, try to find comfy ones!
• get yourself the most amazing pair of jeans, and wear them, love them, show them off
• treat yourself to a face lotion that is natural and when you put it on makes you feel like you were just spa-ing
• green juice in the morning and notice how your insides feel, all dressed up...drink it in a beautiful glass
  
• check out your closet, are you holding onto clothes 3 sizes ago - let them go
• go a little outside your comfort zone, try big earrings or bright lipstick, maybe a funky pattern instead of black

Stop waiting for the feel good to happen when you lose weight, get this job, make more money, kids grow up - grab it now. The now is a really gorgeous place to be.

Hey Gorgeous, Pay it Forward!

Want to move into the gorgeous life and have a little raw kale, butterflies fluttering on your head kind of fun? Of course you do!

Each Sunday I will be posting a new Hey Gorgeous tip that is simple and fun. I am a believer that what we put out we attract and I am looking for some simple and some fun. I want my tribe to feel sexy and gorgeous and inspired. I want you to pay-it-forward when you feel inspired by a tid-bit and create the ripple that the joy of loving yourself up, healthy style brings. Yes, that means we might have to share this with the guys (*wink* at the guys who are here already)!

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The idea of paying it forward is so juicy, I wish I had invented it. I would roll around in my genius of finding a way to make the world a more amazing place. And then I would stop thinking about me, and do something for someone else. Pay it forward might just make you more gorgeous on it's own than any of our past chit-chats.

Can you imagine the world, if every time a compliment or act of kindness was received it was then spread out in the Universe? Amazing right? I'm not talking about just the big stuff. There is the pot of soup for a sick friend, the walk you take with someone's kids to offer them a break, even an e-mail sent to someone you see all the time - just to say you care about them.

There's a sparkly sort of feeling you get inside when you pay it forward. Truly giving, not out of need for praise or thanks, giving for the purpose of helping another, that's where you get the tingle. That tingle gets you your gorgeous. It adds up and fills you in a way a carton of ice cream never will.

Let's all pick one thing we can do today to make someone's day a little easier or satisfyingly special.

Later gorgeous!