Make this A Stress-Free Week!

Aren't you just loving Monday???! Well if you aren’t, you should be!  The first day of the week does not always have to be the most hectic.... it really doesn’t, it’s all about mindset and the priorities you set before hand that make all the difference!  While Monday means the weekend is over, it also means a new week of unlimited potential lies ahead.  

Here are some tips to make this an amazing week!

1. Set Goals

On Sunday I revisited my goals.  Planning the week ahead means that I am able to get a lot more done, and I then live without some of the chaos that ensues!  I have started to follow Dr. Covey’s approach to goal-setting as outlined in The 7 Habits ofHighly Effective People.

This involves the following:

·         Identifying Roles: Identify the key roles in your life. If you haven’t given this much thought before, just write down what immediately comes to mind. Some of my roles, for example, are: mother, daughter, wife, sister, and friend.

·         Selecting Goals: Next, think of 2 or 3 important things you would like to accomplish in each of these roles in the coming week. For example, as a wife & mother, I need to make sure that my home is a representation of the love & happiness I feel inside.  A safe place for both my children and husband to reside in.

·         Scheduling:  Ah... this involves taking the above goals, and scheduling time to do them. Be flexible though – in most cases some daily adapting is also needed.

2. Get the Most Out of Every Day

This may sound like a cliché, but each and every day is a gift. Don’t indefinitely delay happiness in your life or settle for being bored. Be inspired. Live with vitality. Enjoy life every day.  Checkout my post on DailyHabits!

3. Do That Thing You Are Resisting

Almost everyone has at least one thing that they are resisting. Perhaps it is fixing something around the house, making an important phone call or re-starting the exercise habit. Get that thing done, and you will be sure to feel to feel as if you have accomplished something this week.

4. Nurture Your Relationships

I truly believe that happiness is highly dependent on the quality of our relationships with other people. So be committed to nurturing these relationships.  Here are some quick ideas how:

·         Pick up the phone: Email is great, but make a point every so often to pick up the phone and speak to your friends and family.

·         Meet a friend for lunch: Do you have a friend that seems to have fallen off the side of the Earth? Invite them out to lunch and catch up on everything you have missed.

·         Ping: Even if you are extremely busy this week, find the time to send a friend or family member a quick email or text message. If nothing else, it shows you are thinking about them.

·         Remember birthdays: Make a point to remember important dates, such as birthdays. I suggest taking time out one day to mark your diary with these important dates. Tip: Facebook is great for discovering birthdays.

5. Stretch Yourself

Stretch yourself by trying something new this week.  This could be anything!  An activity, visiting a new place, meeting someone new, you decide!

6. Be Disciplined (probably the most important one!)

Starting the week by setting goals is a bit like making new years eve resolutions: they are easy to make, but as time progresses it can be hard to capture the same motivation that was present when you first made them. If you struggle with self-discipline, I suggest keeping the following quote in mind:

“When the morning’s freshness has been replaced by the weariness of midday, when the leg muscles quiver under the strain, the climb seems endless, and, suddenly, nothing will go quite as you wish – it is then that you must not hesitate.” – Dag Hammarskjold

7. Make a Difference

This week commit to making a positive difference in the world. Even the following small actions can make a big difference in the life of another person and/ or the world:

·         Buy lunch for a hungry pan-handler.

·         Donate something you never use!

·         Recycle & Reuse.

·         Volunteer your time. 

·         Put a smile on on someones face. :-)

How are you going to make this a great week?

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15 Daily Habits: Are you following your Original Blueprint?

Recently I have realized the importance of having a Blueprint, and following it with discipline.  Doing something every day is such a powerful way to form a habit that in turn changes you from the inside out.  As people, we need routines, we need to have schedules, its just the way we are programmed.  

The following is a look at what I am personally working on!

My Morning

1. Wake Up Early & Meditate!  Like the saying goes, “.....Early to rise, makes you Healthy, Wealthy & Wise!”.  Get in touch with yourself Spiritually.  Allow that connection to deepen for at least 10-15 minutes before any interruptions take over.  Notice the difference!

2. Exercise:  Get your body moving, energize yourself!  In the morning I love to take an hour at the local gym to connect with myself, strength training is one of my favorites as it gets my overall energy levels up ASAP!

3. Review or (even better) rewrite Your Goals: You can’t accomplish anything if you don’t have a plan!  So why even think of doing something, if you don’t have it down on paper?  Writing things down allows me to have something to follow-through on.

4. Read and/ or Listen to Motivational Material: I am such a fan of listening to Joyce Meyers in the morning since introduced to her by my Great friend Aara.  I am so pumped up to face the day after her sessions as it leaves me with a sense of Power & overall calm.

5. Visualize the Day Ahead:  I like to think of what I want to happen in my day.  I want to attract my desires and make them a reality!  It also helps me to be positive about those things that I have placed importance on, as I feel connected with an end goal.

6. Write a “To Do” list:  I am such a big fan of now writing down the important tasks.  Like any other busy Women, I can be forgetful at times and this helps me to keep on track.

7. Check the News Headlines:   My hubby and I are big Newspaper fans.  In the mornings we like to start our day with breakfast and then talking about what is happening in our community and the world.  We are connected this way, and we find it helps us to also have great conversations with people throughout the day.

10. Tidy Up: A cluttered house can lead to a cluttered mind and fuzzy thinking. 

11. Take Time to Look Freaking Sexy! It’s a reality of life that people judge us by our appearance. I take a few minutes each morning to ensure I go out into the world looking the best I can.  And why wouldn’t I?  I know I am gorgeous, beautiful, wonderful & deserve to look and feel that way every day!

My Day

11. Put First Things First: Many people have their day controlled by tasks that are urgent, but not necessarily important. Examples include interruptions, some email and some phone calls. The habit of putting first things first is about organising and executing your life around your deepest priorities.

12. Connect with Nature: I find spending time outdoors in nature is great for my sense of wellbeing.  I love taking walks around my local pond or going out to a local trail to take in a little nature with either by myself or with my family.

13. Be Proactive: Being proactive means showing initiative and taking the responsibility to make things happen. Whenever I want something to happen, I ask myself: What can I do to make this happen?

14. Ping a Friend: I try to send a quick email or text to a friend each day. It’s a great way to stay in touch with friends when I am extremely busy.  It also lets those people closest to me know that I truly care about them.

15. Save: Now that my husband and I are on a financial wellness plan, I have been saving at least 10% of each pay check. 

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For Hairs Sake

I recently became addicted to an ingenious product that has left me with long lasting hairstyles and the ability to skip a day or two on my shampoos.  Although I don't use it everyday, it's still been a great time-saver!

For hairs sake, it's also meant allowing my hair to avoid the damages of over stimulating my roots with all kind of unwanted products & water logging ...I've also noticed that it was been growing a little more rapidly and thicker too!  For hair’s health, many professional hair experts recommend skipping a day or two, or even three, between hair washing's. While it’s true that giving hair a rest can help it to stay healthier, it can also make some heads of hair look and feel greasy.  I'm sure you've been there, done that!

I know that waking up in the mornings with limp and greasy is a real problem, especially as I frequent the gym often, and my hair can get that not-so-fresh smell as well. So how do you do what’s right for your hair and still keep it looking and smelling fresh and fabulous? My secret, Got2b Rockin'it dry shampoo!

Honestly, it's a hair miracle, all with a few short sprays and tussles. For busy people who are constantly on the go, for outdoor types who don’t always have the comforts of home and for those of you experiencing the greasies on those in between washing days, this stuff is a MUST!

... You're probably wondering what this has to do with your health or how it relates to you somehow feeling great about that morning bed-head.. well, for those of you ladies that DON'T have time to take a shower, dry and style your hair, this is the alternative to still looking fabulous and leaving the house feeling great!  In less than as little as 10 minutes, you’ll have hair that has the shine, scent and beautiful bounce of freshly washed hair.


*Got2b Rockin'it dry shampoo can be purchased at London Drugs, Walmart, Shoppers Drug Mart, or wherever hair products are sold.  It retails for about $5.49, and is a small enough can to pack around with you in your purse or gym bag.  

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Fashion is also Healthy

It's said that a woman that is both healthy in mind & body tends to also look the part.

Do you?
How often do you usually get up in the morning and do your hair + makeup?  Or put on that pretty dress you just bought?  Do you take the time to make sure that when you leave the house, you aren't looking like a rumpled pile of sheets?  Do you ever think of what impact your dilapidated state might have on your mood for the rest of your day?


Women strive to take care of everyone else but themselves.  Whats even strange about this is that most of us know we feel great when we do our hair, makeup and put on our best, however seventy-six percent of us beautiful ladies set the goal of making it happen, yet only forty-two percent of us actually do!  

This season, make it a priority of yours to get in touch with your inner style.  Learn to channel your diva, and to love the body you are in!  Get up!  Do you hair!  Try on those Pumps!  Feel beautiful, sexy, and gloriously able!

Checkout STYLE REFRESH for Falls 2011 go to trends, and remember to take care of YOU! http://www.stylerefresh.com/REFRESH/Blog/Entries/2011/10/10_Fall_2011_Trends.html

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