6 Ways to beat the Bah Humbug's!

This topic came into my mind one evening last week and I have been trying so hard to ditch it ever since mostly because it is uncomfortable. However, I have never been one to hide or skip a chapter of my story and when something nags at me, no matter how badly it reflects on me, I have to share it. So here we go.

In middle school, I cannot remember which grade, I learned in my health class that the holidays could be tough for some people. We are talking statistics here, folks. Depression, stress, suicide. Words cannot begin to describe how confused that made me feel. I mean, it is Christmas!

Who does not love the smell of a real Christmas tree in their house? The evenings I would turn off the TV and the lights and only had the Christmas lights on and look at the tree as the soft glow illuminate the room. You cannot forget about the Christmas music, movies, and caroling. Driving around town to look at all the houses with decorations and Christmas lights on them. How about the community events where Santa Claus would be attending? I think I would always ask for a puppy, silly. Who else remembers those torturous Christmas Eve nights when you had to go to sleep but you could not because you were anticipating Santa?! Then, when you would wake up waaaaaaaay too early and had to figure out how to fall back asleep. But nothing beats that mad dash for the living room with your siblings when your parents gave you the green light. We would have gift wrapping paper flying up into the air and moved onto the next gift before the gift wrapping paper hit the ground. You could not even see the floor by the end because there was wrapping paper, boxes, and bows (oh my!) all over the place.

How could any of that make someone sad?

Ignorance is bliss.

Well...life happens.

Parents divorce. Loved ones die. Families are divided because of grief and pain. Bills. Stress. Little money. More stress. Those are just some things that were hard for my family growing up. Some people had it worse! Everyone has a story. Everyone reacts differently to their hardships. Some people are very sensitive and others just go with the flow. Some people get stuck and others bounce back.

It was not until the last 8 plus years that Christmas really began to mean something different to me. I was battling with my own depression to begin with because my boyfriend at the time was just a big tortured jerk. He hated Christmas and for whatever reason he did not have it in him to make an effort for me, someone who loved it in spades. I began to really stress out when my girlfriends would share what their partners got them for Christmas. Some gifts were homemade, modest, or extravagant. When it was my turn to share, I had nothing. I was happy for them but I felt embarrassed and hurt. In my culture, having a man that showers you with gifts is a positive thing. It signifies that 1) they can financially do so and 2) they can take care of you 3) It is just thoughtful, period. I try not to focus on materialism but it bugs me when no gestures are made and no traditions are created. On top of that, the holidays always made him lash out at me.

Our last Christmas together he finally did something grand and he flew me out to meet his family. It meant a lot to me and felt like great big step and it was my first time on an airplane. He took care of everything I needed while I was out there but when we said goodbye it felt off and within a few months we broke up. The following Christmas he broke my heart all over again when I found out he was not only dating someone for months (he told me he needed to be single for a while, liar) but he was also taking her back home to meet his family and friends. From then on, I could not listen to certain songs or movies because it hurt too much and I simply just did not care what we did for the holidays.

Then I just continued to date guys that hated Christmas and they never wanted to do anything on New Years Eve. If there is one thing I cannot stand is life passing me by! I would have loved and still want to meet someone who does not get down because of the holidays. Someone who wants to go to parties, dance, laugh, sing, eat good food, and be around great company. Instead, I just stay at home. It sucked and I just learned not to get excited or hope for things because my expectations would never be met and I would be so sad.

Two years ago the man of my dreams (who turned out to be the biggest fake ever) absolutely crushed me right before Christmas. It was a different kind of pain that I had never experienced before in my dating life. Maybe because I was now older and wiser and knew what I wanted. It took me practically a year to honestly heal from that experience. Last year my entire family were sick as dogs! I did not even get a chance to stress or worry about the holidays. In fact, we rang in the New Year with the East Coast because we were so sick. It seems like I have a bad Christmas one year, a whatever Christmas the next year, then bad, then whatever, then horrible, then whatever. However, this year, I decided that I was going to take back Christmas. Enough is enough.

Happiness is a verb after all!

I have to say first off that I am, by no means, a professional! For some reason, you graced me with your time, and for whatever reason this topic interested you. We all experience some real loses and pain in this life. I am sorry if you are trying to deal with the loss of a loved one, have had your heart broken, experienced illness, financial troubles, etc. Sometimes it helps if you first figure out what you truly are experiencing. This post is for those pesky, preventable, in comparison minor holiday blues. I truly encourage you with a warm hug to find out if you are in fact feeling those pesky holiday blues or actual depression. Click here and speak to your doctor if you are experiencing any of those symptoms and much love, light, and healing to you.

With that said, here is my rule and 6 tips to beat the Bah Humbug's this year!

New Dating Rule: No more men who hate Christmas. If you cannot have fun. Get out of here! That is now on the deal breaker list!

1. Make the choice to take Christmas back! This one has helped me out tremendously this year. Create playlists of your favorite Christmas songs, watch the movies you enjoy, decorate the house. Get psyched! Talk about it! Take pictures and share with your friends of how you are making the choice to have a great holiday.
2. Service. Sign up at a soup kitchen, gather donations for the hungry and the homeless, play with puppies or kittens, help a neighbor. There is nothing like service! Forget yourself and get to work.
3. Socialize. Call up people you feel safe around and do something fun. Buy a package of sugar cookies and bake/decorate. Bonus point if you deliver some to the cute guy next door! Go out Christmas caroling with friends. Meet up at Starbucks for some peppermint hot chocolate and have girl talk or stay in and watch some movies with your friends at your house. Whatever you do, do not stay at home alone to bottle it up. Doing nothing makes it worse, I know from experience. There is nothing wrong with alone time either but make sure it is healthy. Self-care is always productive. 
4. Focus on your health. I know I drink a lot less water during the winter. My skin does not get a lot of sun anymore because I bundle up and stay indoors. Not to mention the days are shorter which has always bummed me out. All these things wreak havoc on my health. So eat healthier, workout regularly, drink that high quality h2o, get lots of sleep, and try to take advantage of the sun. However, you are talking to a spoiled California girl here and I am sure that is much easier for me compared to other parts of the country/world. Besides, you never know who you will meet at the gym, on the track, or in the produce section. Maybe a new best friend or a handsome gentleman. 
5. Gratitude. Count your blessings. Name them one by one. Gratitude is so powerful and is a game changer. Without gratitude you miss out on so much happiness, joy, success, growth, etc.
6. Change or make new traditions. Maybe, for whatever reason, some things are just too raw for you right now. Maybe you lost someone very dear to you and I am sorry for that. Maybe someone moved away and now things are not the same for you. Mix things up and do things a little differently so you are still celebrating but in a way that will not hurt your heart.

That is my list and I am sticking to it. I am also going to let expectations go this year. It sure has robbed me of a lot of joy but that is another blog post!

Thanks for reading!

Establishing A Nightly Routine

I have fantasies of being a morning person. In these fantasies I wake up early enough to pray and read my scriptures comfortably in bed, followed by yoga/stretches before taking a glorious shower. I would come out of said shower feeling refreshed and wide awake as I get dressed into a cute outfit that was picked out the night before. I would do my makeup and would know how to do any hairstyle with ease and confidence. But wait, there is more. I would still have time to cook and eat breakfast with a cup of my trusty warm honey lemon water and then make my lunch before leaving the front door, cool as a cucumber. There may or may not be birds chirping as I walk to my car too. That would be fantastic.

In reality, lol, I wake up and play on my phone a bit before I notice the time and head straight to the shower in a frenzy. I search through my hamper of clean clothes, wrapped in a towel which is the worst if it is cold, looking for something that hopefully matches and covered in wrinkles. I may or may not put on makeup, depending on time, and I definitely settle for putting my hair up in a pineapple bun. I then head to the kitchen to boil water for my warm honey lemon water as I frantically pack my lunch bag and grab a energy bar as I race to the car.

What a difference, right? I wish I could start my day with purpose, completely rush free but I am not there yet. I tried, for a week, to wake up an hour earlier and it made a huge difference but it left me completely exhausted once 2:00 o'clock came around. Granted I did try this right after Daylights Savings Time and my body is still adjusting to the time change, it actually may be doable once I feel human again. I also do not consume caffeine often and if I do, it is coca cola related. Power naps are dangerous for me; I just keep going and two hours later I am refreshed but then screwed come bedtime! So I finally decided until I feel more like a morning person, I may just have to end my nights with purpose and prep for the next morning.

Here are 10 things I do every night to make for a better tomorrow

After dinner time:

1. Start a load of laundry and head to the kitchen but make sure to keep an eye on it
2. Clean the kitchen: Load the dishwasher, clean the sink and counter tops, sweep, and take out the trash
3. Tomorrow's meal prep: Put together your breakfast/lunch/snacks for the next day. Put anything that does not need to be refrigerated into your lunch bag immediately. One final counter top clean up!
4. Set up your morning coffee/tea/protein shake/hot chocolate/warm honey lemon water station for the next morning. We are talking every single item you need to make your cup of happiness out on the counter top. From ingredients to travel mug. So when you come out in the morning, it is all there, no need to go through all your cabinets.
5. Pick out your outfit for the next day. Work and gym clothes. No mental checks here, folks! Physically go through your closet and dresser and put your work outfit together and hang it up in the bathroom! Grab your gym bag and make sure all of your essentials are in there. Another post on this later! Also, while you are at it make sure you have your purse and keys next to your gym bag too. I have spent so many minutes of my life looking for my purse and/or my keys in the morning.
6. If you are like me, hello, did you not read my morning reality?! You probably did not make your bed in the morning, so make your bed nice and comfy because you are diving into that bad boy later.
• Gather your towel and pajamas we are headed towards the shower.
7. Shower time! Wash your hair, wash your face (get rid of all that makeup and blood, sweat, and tears you put into your day. You rock!), exfoliate, shave, etc. You know what to do. Do not forget to put some castor oil on those over plucked eyebrows, Julia! Hurry, your show is about to start!
8. Limit Screen time (TV/Social Media): I do not care if it is Cable, Hulu or Netflix, keep it in check. You will also probably be on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and/or texting during this time too which makes time fly by. Make an effort to be plugged in for less than an hour. I mean, we are plugged in all day long, are we not? Really try to stick to this rule because it will help you sleep better. It helps me if 15 minutes before my show is about to end if I start wrapping up conversations and social media posts.
9. Make a cup of Chamomile tea and Brush/Floss teeth: I get up out of bed/couch (usually bed) and make a cup of something warm now that the nights are getting a little chilly by California standards. I also need some honey in my tea or else I will not touch it. So after that sweet cup of goodness, I brush my teeth and floss before I get back into bed. 
10. Dim the lights, play some relaxing music, and get a good book/plan the next day: For me I have been reading my scriptures, a magazine my church publishes with amazing articles, The Best Year of Your Life by Debbie Ford, or The Secret. Sometimes I do not want to read, maybe I am too tired or my mind is running a mile a minute. I will bust out my Passion Planner and plan the next day. Work stuff, appointments, errands, goal, to do lists, workouts, etc are all at a glance and puts my mind to rest.

There you have it! That is what I have been doing lately and it has been working nicely! It seems like a lot and it is a lot. It takes up most of my evening after dinner but it sets me up for a great day and what has it really taken up? Netflix binge hours? Swiping left, right, up, or down on my Smartphone? My house is a little bit cleaner and I have shaved off a lot of time doing unnecessary things so I am happy about that. 

Tonight my screen time has been writing this post so after this I am signing out and going to read more out of The Best Year of Your Life and going to bed, I am so tired. Zzzz. What are your nightly routine tips? I always like to learn new or easier ways to do things. Let me know in the comment section!

Good night, friends!

Rainy Days and Mondays

When it rains I always sing, "Rainy days and Mondays always get me down!" by The Carpenters. It happens to be raining and a Monday neither of which are getting me down. California needs the rain desperately and Mondays are my easy day at work. No, I am not down because of blessings and work; I am down because I am not feeling very well and I am sick in bed.

My mom spoils me so much, I am not complaining, and this weekend she went above and beyond. She bought me a calming coloring book (I now have two), a much needed storage tray, and a Bella Triple Slow Cooker, in Red. Each slow cooker is 1.5 quarts. It was on sale and that was all she needed to know. I just looked online and it is normally $69.99!

Originally I wanted a tray for my various remotes because they just hide in my covers (I should really make my bed more often) or I kick them off the bed during the middle of the night. I have not been able to find one anywhere. They are either too big or too small. This one I will admit is too big for just remotes but it fit my room too perfectly and I knew I could figure out what else to put in it. When I got home and put it on my nightstand I thought my coloring and favorite books (The Secret, The Best Year of Your Life, and my Scriptures) were perfect additions to my tray and it helps my desire of wanting to read more in bed versus nightly Netflix binges.

I am curious...
What do you have on your nightstand?
What are your nightly rituals?
Do you like your nightly rituals to be productive or mindless (sometimes that is so nice, lol)?

It would seem that we have a little bit of a storm brewing! I just heard some thunder! Mother nature is clearing her throat so I am going to hop off the laptop and relax. ***UPDATE*** We got a great lightning and thunder storm. That was crazy cool and I am glad I am in bed. Be safe out there friends. Time to turn on the heating blanket and watch movies.

In Progress: Over plucked eyebrows + Castor Oil = ????

Hello there, 1990's!

I had the pleasure of being an 80's baby and 90's kid; what a great time to grow up! During my 8th grade Spring Break my cousin said to me, "Hey, let's pluck your eyebrows!" I called my mom at work and asked for her permission because I had never plucked before. After being told just to pluck some of the strays and that was it (or else!), I got the thumbs up and my cousin went to town.

THE PAIN! Why do women do this?!

My cousin did great and she followed my mom's instructions because she knew better. What I continued to do after that sealed my fate. Seeing as my cousin plucked the obvious hairs that were not part of my natural brow line, I saw no dramatic difference. However, when I returned to class the following week the guy that sat next to me in math class said, "Hey, you look different. Oh, you plucked your eyebrows. They were more bushy before Spring Break." Hahaha. Who says boys do not pay attention? I had no idea I had bushy eyebrows before.

So yes, I grew up in the 90's. One of the negative sides of the 90's, fashion and beauty wise, was the fact that women's eyebrows were very thin; it was the thing to do. In retrospect, I had no idea that women waxed their eyebrows. I did not know there were professionals for such a thing so I did it all myself. I did it to my own damn self, lol. You know what comes next...I am over plucked and I have been that way for a while for far too long.

Several months back a friend said something funny/sarcastic to me and I raised just one eyebrow at her. She started to giggle, I gave her a questioning glace, and she continued to laugh as she explained, "I'm sorry, I just love how little your eyebrow looks every time you do that."

Little? I went from bushy to little. What have I done to my poor eyebrows over the years?

After that incident, and if I am being honest, whenever I got around to plucking I remembered what she had said. I raised my eyebrow to see what she was laughing at and I saw it. If you look at the picture of the eye you'll see the eyebrow is broken up into 3 parts: a, b, and c. My "A" game is strong for the most part, my "B" can use a little work, and my "C"? I am lacking a lot in the C department, which is what my friend was talking about and she was right. LOL. In the last couple of years when I look at pictures of my face (profile) I could see how thin and nonexistent my eyebrows are but I did not know what I could do about it until recently.

A couple of months ago I saw that there was a "restore" serum sold at the place of business I get waxed at. I am almost done with it and I am have got some exciting results but I am not all that crazy about the price compared to the amount of serum that is sold. So, I have been doing some Pinterest searching for a homemade alternative and came across something that was more satisfying budget wise.

Castor Oil.

There are a lot of different benefits to castor oil that I highly recommend you research for yourself. If you are interested in improving the health and growth of your hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows: use castor oil. I feel a little weird putting the oil on my eyelashes but seeing as they are naturally long and curly, I will skip that part. This morning I went to CVS, as all other women have stated in their blogs, and bought Castor Oil. It was $6.49 for 4 fl oz compared to $20 before tax for 0.12 oz tube of restore serum!

My eyebrow BEFORE picture.

Over the last few weeks, with the serum I am finishing up and not plucking, I have been painfully growing back these bad boys. I feel like Oscar the Grouch or like two caterpillars are just sitting on my forehead but they have been growing back and I have been carefully shaping and grooming them. So as of November 5, 2015 this is my eyebrow BEFORE picture. I have a promising foundation and cannot wait to continue properly grooming my results as my eyebrows grow back with the use of Castor Oil.

While I do not have a before and after photo just yet I will be checking in from time to time. How have you mended a bad eyebrow wax job or turned back the hands of time on your over plucked eye brows? Please tell me there is hope?

Warm Honey Lemon Water + Receipe

Cheers to your health!

Gratitude Log: It rained today for the first time in who knows how long. It was so soothing when it woke me up in the middle of the night. I welcomed the early wake up call (it usually annoys me) but then I realized I had to use the restroom. So out of my warm blankets I went, lol. I am thankful for the rain because California desperately needs it and I am thankful for my job but I longed to be back home in bed cuddling with the dog and listen to the rain as we watched movies.

My mom also made albondigas yesterday and I took some to work for my lunch. My belly was pleasantly full and my body was warm from the inside out because of her willingness to cook. Okay, I bugged her! For weeks. I begged and I hinted and she would laugh in my face. Finally, she agreed. I guess it was not so willingly on her part but very much appreciated by her kiddos. Thanks, Ma!

Most mornings I will come to work with my Warm Honey Lemon Water (WHLM) but today I made it at work. My client asked me if I would make her some too because she has seen how it has aided my health and she loved the taste because I have made it for her before in the past. 

Let us time travel back to February of this year. There was an article that was persistently circulating like crazy. That is the filter I use when it comes to articles and videos on Facebook. If people share the crap out of it, 9 out of 10 times that means it is worth my time. This one article in particular (click here to read it) was a piece about how a lady drank a glass of warm honey lemon water every single day for a year, how it went for her, the health benefits, and the recipe.

At that time I must have been on my second round of illness. The cold and flu season was on steroids and was going around since December. That's right. I was sick from December until the very beginning of March. Oh man, it was terrible. As I stated before I kept seeing, "I Drank Warm Honey Lemon Water Every Morning for a Year (Here's What Happened)" on my NewsFeed. I figured it was a weight loss thing, which you know me, I am always trying to lose weight!

BUT! It was so much more.

One of the claims was that the writer never got a cold, flu, or gastro illness that entire year. That sounded like a dream come true and I needed a miracle! My poor mother suffered along with me. In fact, every time she got sick, a week later I would join her. Misery loves company, eh?

When I read this article, I was dealing with post nasal drip for a couple of weeks and my head felt super congested. But I began drinking WHLM anyway, there were still many health benefits to it, what could it hurt? Well, all of a sudden I could not hear out one of my ears. What the crap? How is this me getting better? Obviously this stuff DOES NOT WORK. I would give it some credit though, my head was no longer fuzzy, but I had turned into Lil Wayne. When my family and I were talking around the dinner table I kept saying, "What?!" over and over again because I could not hear and my brother would reply, "Yeah!" and everybody would laugh. That brat! Go listen to any Lil Wayne songs, it is his trademark.

So for a week or two I tried to unplug my ear with essential oils and other methods but nothing got better. I do not have patience when it comes to my health so I went to the doctor on March 9th (my birthday). The nurse told me that what probably happened is when I was ill I probably ran a fever in my sleep a high enough that it melted my earwax and that is why I could not hear. So my ears were flushed out and from then on out it was smooth sailing, except for my mom. She got sick and I got pissed. I just knew that within a week I would get sick again. 

Guess what happened? I did not get sick. In fact, I continued to get better.

I try to go organic when I can help it and I began doing some more research on raw and organic honey. I came across something new: the benefits of local honey. One of the benefits being that local honey helps out your allergies. I also like to support local farmers because it helps pay their rent for their farms, it supports their families, and it is better for the environment as it does not require being driven long distances. I am a really big geek when it comes to sustainability. Sometimes I tell myself that my geek is showing too much. But I will geek out in another post. 

These factors piqued my interest. I walked to my cabinet, reached for my jar of honey, located where it was from: INDIA. Well, that was not going to help out my allergies and that needed to be more than just driven to my grocery store. So, I set out on a mission to get some raw local honey the moment I finished it. Sadly, Trader Joe's was not the answer. I tried a couple of other stores but nothing really screamed "local" until I got to Whole Foods. I found a company that is from my hometown and for $16.99 I bought a 2 pound jar of delicious honey. That is the most I have ever spent but it lasts for months! 

Recipe: 

• A mug*
• Boiled water
• Half of a fresh lemon (I recommend organic and thankful I have two trees on my property). If half of a lemon is too sour for you, it also depends on the type of lemon you use, squeeze less of it or build up to half of a lemon.
• 1 teaspoon (tsp) of Raw Honey (I recommend local). The sweetness will depend on where your honey comes from. So if it is too sweet, use a little less.

I like to make a cup and read, relax in bed, talk with my family, or fill up my traveling mug and go for a walk along the ocean. Sometimes, there is no time to relax and have fun/be in the moment so it goes into my travel mug and goes to work with me but I still get it done. 

I hope you will try it and I wish you health and prosperity!

* = I think it is so much fun to always use your favorite mug or go out and splurge on a cute new one. Pick something that relaxes, inspires, and motivates you. For me, it is currently my vintage pyrex milk glass mug. For my mom, it's her Princess House cup. Everybody is different. I am on the hunt for a new cappuccino style mug with lemons and sunflowers on it!

Dia De Los Muertos Altar

This year I unexpectedly ended up doing two altars. The first altar was outside for our Dia De Los Muertos inspired party. Then the second one my mother and I put together in our kitchen. We must have put this altar together for almost an hour. 

Our altar has grown in size over the years. In terms of presentation and sadly with new pictures but the love always remains. 

I am glad that my mom and I did this together. It was a great time and lots of laughs. She even made me albondigas (meatball soup.) Yum!

My Introduction to Self Care

Click photo to enlarge. Credit: click here

In my 20's I liked to think of words that described me as a person and posted them in the "About Me" sections of websites (blogs/social media) I liked to visit. It made me feel accomplished, lol. Words like: Student, Sociologist, Dancer, Pisces, you get the idea. However, once I got into my 30's I started to unconsciously come up with a different list, one that really bothered me, a list of things that I was not: Unmarried, Unattached, Childless, you get the idea. I felt like I was not only moving at a slower pace and wasting my time dating the wrong guys for me but it felt weird when I realized everyone close to me were moving on to the next stages of life. Truth be told, they were things I had been dying to experience for years. In short, I felt like I was grasping at straws trying to feel like I was achieving something and all I got a hold of were feelings of being left behind and it can be kind of painful at times.

So many of my Friday nights are not spent going out on dates. I could not get a date to save my life and I do not go clubbing because 1) I don't drink and 2) I'm in my 30's and do not want to hang out with young kids, our lives are so different. No, my Friday nights are spent in my king sized bed with my Smartphone in one hand and the remote control in the other hand selecting "continue" when Netflix asks if I am still watching. Uh, yeah I'm still watching, duh. You should know me by now Netflix, lol. Okay, so you know how I said many of my Friday nights are spent like this? I was lying. It is not just Friday's that I do this, it is every single night. To be honest with you the only real good thing I have going for myself is working out and going to church. Those are the choices I make consistently. Yes, I have a job (it is on my gratitude list) and I have my other responsibilities but those are things I have to do. Does that make sense?

Anyway.

One night, like every night, I was on Instagram and was looking at the hashtag #positivity and #quotes hoping something inspiring would come into my life because I needed a pick me up. I came across a pretty aerial point of view picture of a girl holding a cup of tea. For the life of me I cannot remember what quote was on the picture but I just loved the colors, the decor, and the pretty font, lol. The caption read something along the lines of how this lady was trying to make time for more "self dates" and I was floored. There is a thing called "self dates?" Like, I can take myself out? Wait! Do I have to leave the house or can I just stay home? What is this? 

Credit: click here

So I searched the hashtag #selfdates and ended up coming across a new hashtag #selfcare. It was like a whole new world! I stumbled upon new ways of spending time with myself that was not only fun but allowed me to unplug and it was beneficial to my health. Sign me up!

You may be wondering, or you may already know, what the heck is self-care? As I have done more research I realized self-care is something that I was already doing off and on because they were ideas I would get from my mom or saw her doing. Who knew, Ma?! You really are a know it all! Teasing, I love you a la Fresh Prince style! So if you do not know what self-care is. I recommend you check out her post on "What is Self-Care? (Self Care 101) by clicking [HERE] if you want to learn more. I love the explanation that Alisha Leytem gives on her website,

In a nutshell, self-care is participating in anything that is nourishing, supportive, inspiring and personally fulfilling.  

The catch here- there’s always a catch!- is that this isn’t something that just comes naturally.  It’s a learned behavior.  You have to intentionally practice self-care in order for it to happen. 

One of my favorite self-care/self-dates I enjoy are my sunrise walks along the ocean with a cup of warm honey lemon water. I began doing that as a new years resolution in 2015 and it has been a great way to start my day. What better medicine than being by the sea? Also, warm honey lemon water is extremely healthy for you but that will be another blog post. I go to the sea when I feel happy, troubled, bored, etc. I should turn to it more often instead of food. Sadly, food wins due to proximity, lol. I like the quiet streets, people are still asleep or busy getting ready for work; there is a magic to all that stillness. The sunrise is so gorgeous as it comes up over Monterey and crashing waves is one of my favorite sounds. I also get to log in some miles on my Nike+ app (I am competitive with myself to log in miles every month) and my playlists are calm and relaxing. I will be sure to put together and share playlists that represent my different self-care moods. What songs would go great as a soundtrack to these photos of the ocean? I love how people interrupt that differently, let me know in the comment section below.

When I created this blog I wanted to share my self-care techniques. Oh, that sounds so fancy, lol. One thing is for sure, everybody is different therefore different things appeal to different people. The way I self-care might not interest you at all. My goal is to try to share different kind of self-care techniques that will hopefully be beneficial to all of us. Heck, maybe once a month I will give something a try that may not be my cup of tea and share how it went for me. There is nothing wrong with trying new things out and it may turn out to be hilarious, lol.

Click photo to enlarge.

At the end of the day, I pray that something speaks to you. I pray that I may share something funny, inspiring, gritty, sad, pretty, or ugly to remind you that you are not alone. So stay tuned for quotes, charts/worksheets, photographs, videos, on this subject. I am actually really looking forward to sharing this with you. Please comment on what works best for you or what you would like to see.

Here is a little something-something to get you started. Figure out how balanced or unbalanced you are. Maybe schedule some time to go through the wheel and pick one to work on this week. You can thank me later.

Project: Dia De Los Muertos/Halloween Party

As my ancestors and immediate family come from Mexico, out of respect, I have to put this out there: Dia De Los Muertos is not and should not be confused with Halloween. It is culturally different and has a lot of meaning and symbolism. I encourage you to do a Google search on it and not be turned/put off by any of the artwork or the name itself. There, I did my part in educating. 

As I mentioned before DDLM is not Halloween so naturally I had some reservations mixing it with our Halloween party but I just wanted to share this event with family and friends and put together a nice altar of our lost loved ones. Some friends did not know much about altars and different aspects of it so it felt nice being able to explain it to them.

According to my Pinterest Board for my DDLM altar/party, I have been planning this party for almost 8 months. In fact, for many weeks during the spring and early summer I was buying patio lights from Target whenever they went on sale to give the backyard some much needed lighting and ambiance. My closet was literally overflowing with lights, decorations, party supplies, etc. I'm happy to finally have my closet back!

I have some really amazing family members that are super talented when it comes to arts and crafts and they were gracious enough to lend me some help and made my vision complete. My cousin made pom tissue flowers for my altar and another friend painted the face of the doll, that is included in Wilton's Wonder Mold Doll Pan, and used La Muerte's face as her example which was perfect because we watched The Book of Life in the backyard at the end of our party. Perfection!

My brother works so hard and I personally think he is the right hand man to the owner of the construction company he works for. He comes home so beat and yet he still put up my lights despite being completely fried and everybody absolutely loved it, me included. It was the final touch and was a cozy canopy when the sun finally set. Thanks bro!

We had a wonderful Mexican dinner catered by D'la Colmena and I made Aqua de Fresa and something I call "Mansion Juice." Read: I made this passion iced tea mixed with lemonade for the first time one summer when I house-sat at this gorgeous mansion. Hence the name. It was literally my dream home. I miss it so much. Anyway back to the topic at hand. I also made a spiced (boxed) cake with whipped cream cheese frosting from scratch. My cousin took a couple of bites and asked, "Is this from The Buttery?" which was a total compliment! Its one of those stores in town that sell scrumptious cakes and other desserts. Thanks cuz!

My family helped out so much, I couldn't have done it without them and they put up with my moods so graciously. I need to learn how to work faster or do work ahead of time because I always leave it to the last minute and then stress out going in hyper speed, whoops. Sorry fam bam!

After dinner we played some games: Pie Face and Pin the Tail on the Donkey and had two pinatas for the kids to beat. We all loved Pie Face that we ran out of time and did not get to the pumpkin carving or the other games I had planned. It was time for our backyard movie night and it was so fun to see a raise of hands when we asked who hadn't watched it before. Almost 1/3 of our friends hadn't and they really enjoyed it. "What is it with Mexicans and death?" was a quote that made us all belly laugh.

My costume was going to be La Calavera Catrina, to go with the theme, but I totally ran out of time. I had her headpiece on, halloween colors in my clothes, and a colorful apron that did not even match yet people started calling me Frida Kahlo. I went with the flow, added a unibrow and viola! Frida I became. This is my second time going as Frida and I love it.

The night was a success. Practically everybody dressed up and I really appreciated it. I loved and appreciated every bodies participation and contributions. This is kind of our official last party until the weather gets warmer (not that it is getting cold just yet but we are anticipating El Nino this year). I am going to miss seeing my family and friends gathered in my backyard. BUT! I am already planning more parties: My best friends birthday party, Christmas, Fat Tuesday, etc.

Uh oh, did I just lose more closet space?

Weight Loss Problems

Supplement game on point 

Weight loss is *such* a pain in the you-know-what.

I am rolling my eyes so hard right now that I just saw my own brain. That is how frustrating I am. Not frustrated but frustrating. I know that I want to be healthier and in shape but I cannot seem to get my act together. I am probably doing this challenge like 65% right now because lately I have been having an issue with my nutrition.

Why do I keep getting in my own way? I have lost weight before, I know what I have to do, so what gives?

*sigh*

Have faith in yourself

Working out is not a problem for me whatsoever. In fact, I love it. Do you want to know what else I love? Food. Food, glorious food.

Moving on.

Something cool happened recently. I am finally feeling confident in myself and familiarized with all the machines. Gym time is go a flow time. It feels good knowing that I have good form and knowledge on what the heck I am doing, lol.

Also, I realized that I am finally getting stronger in regards to upper body. I am not going to brag at the pounds because it is very little, lol...BUT...I am getting stronger and the dumbbells I am using are looking less child's play like and a little more impressive, lol. So much for confidence, right?

I am so very thankful for my wonderful Coach Amanda Latona Kuclo and her big heart. Poor lady has so many girls to care after and super fans but she is super gracious and motivating to each and every once of us. Forget the fact that she is a newlywed and moved to a whole new state, but she has a new workout apparel line, has dealt with the flu, apparences, supporting her husband as he prepares for competitions, and I am sure she has her own problems (don't we all) but she is such a trooper! Thanks Amanda!

So I might have hit a little slump with my nutrition but I am fixing that and will continue doing what I can until it is all balanced again.

Thanks for reading!

Julia

Talents and Sharing

One thing I wanted before I began to blog was a watermark for my photographs. Not because my photographs are the best and people are going to rip them off but because I want people to have the ability to come back to my blog should something speak to them.

I came across a lovely lady through the OxyChallenge that is into graphics so I gave it a shot by contacting her right away and she made something super cute and creative. I love how she combined the lemon into the sunflower! So cute! My mind is just not creative like that, hahaha. If you have any graphic needs, please consider Tori and visit her website by clicking [HERE]!

It is wonderful when people share their talents; I wish I were more comfortable with sharing my talents, I suppose that just stems from a lack of self-confidence.

Something super cool happened today during lunch time. I was in need of a cucumber for my lemon chicken salad and I realized that I never purchased any this week at my local farm stand. Not 2 minutes later there was a knock on my front door and my neighbor was there with cucumbers that they grow in their yard. Local, fresh, and organic for the win, boo yeah!

When California is out of this drought, c'mon El Nino!, I am going to grow another veggie garden again and my yard will be gorgeous with sunflowers, hydrangeas, lillies, and various plants for butterflies, considering our town is a huge Monarch Butterfly sanctuary. Also, I want to have bird feeders and a bee water garden. A girl can dream and plan, right?

Do not forget to strengthen your talents every single day and then share them with others. You will bless a life and I know you will feel great making someone's day.

What Doesn't Kill You, Makes You Stronger

The cliffs (East Cliff in particular) have been calling me and I have yet to respond. I was hoping to go for a jog with my best friend tomorrow morning but she will be unable to join me so I will just go for a nice stroll.

One of my favorite self-care dates is a sunrise stroll along East Cliff but the sunrises so early that I have not been for one in months! I cannot wait for sunrise to be a little later in the morning so I can sit by the rocks and drink my warm honey lemon water in absolute peace.

Back to the subject at hand.

I did day 1 of month 2 today at the gym and here I am in bed, moving ever so slightly, and my muscles are already sore, lol. It was lower body day; I did squats and variations of lunges. My glutes were attacked from every single angle possible. I am so thankful for smartphones because I got to review all the demo videos before I tried them out for myself. It is so much information to try to keep track of and it fixes my form.

But the best part?

I did every single workout for today without having to do any modifications or without having to skip some because of my weak back/ankle.

*Snaps for Julia!*

They were not all flawless moves but I committed to them and got them done. YAY!

:::On a side note:::

My most favorite gym employee has been gone for a couple of weeks. Sucks for me because I miss conversing with him but great for him as he has found a better job that he is actually excited about. I was about to begin my cardio when he called my name and I turned around to see him standing before me. I was so excited! For a split second I thought he was back at the gym which made me happy but then horrified so I asked why he was there. He is not into fitness whatsoever, lol. He was there giving out all of his gym affiliated t-shirts he has acquired over the years as an employee and I scored his last two t-shirts. YAY! We chat for a short bit and he was on his way, that may be the last time I ever see him again but hey...at least we got to hug it out and he gave me some t-shirts to remember him by.

:::Cue "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday" by Boys II Men:::

lol.

Today I am thankful for:

1. Naps
2. Chocolate
3. Endorphin's
4. Chocolate, yes I list it twice
5. My job
6. My Dog Kaja
7. Prayer
8. Laughter
9. My Wonder Woman Mother
10. Old Friends

Balance

My best friend surprised me with some red Sunflowers last night at our bi-monthly Movie Under the Stars event that we host at my house. It was such a sweet surprise. I had to take a picture of the beautiful colors and the crazy cool detail of the sunflower and share it with you all.

These past 24 hours have been interesting. I have been absolutely exhausted. I crashed out as soon as our guests left last night and I slept almost 10 hours before it was time to get ready for church. Then, I slept a couple of more hours after I returned from church, lol.

Church was wonderful. I love the people and our friendships. There were words that I needed to hear and impressions that I felt that lead me to action. One thing I want to start doing is send pretty cards to the older ladies from church who are lonely. Whether they are widowed or it is just them and their husbands. Who does not like a thoughtful, random card in the mail? Better than junk mail or bills, right? Also, I got another reminder that I need more spiritual balance. More scripture study, more praying, and more quiet time to receive answers.

As I mentioned above, I have been really tired/sleeping a lot today and as I was waking from my slumber I remembered that tomorrow is the start of Month 2 of the Oxygen Challenge. I wanted to sleep more, lounge in bed with Netflix, but I knew that I needed to strive for progress and success. I have heard that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Soooo...that meant doing some prep work was in order and I did the first step by cleaning the kitchen. How can you weigh, measure, and cook your meals without a clean space, clean pots, pans, utensils, and meal prep containers? It is a step that I often do not think about but starting the week off with a clean kitchen and cleaning as you go is a must! Then, I prepped my breakfast, snack, lunch, and cleaned up again, lol. I will prep my pre and post workout meals when I get home from work tomorrow.

It is time for scripture reading, prayers, and counting my blessings as I fall asleep. It is nice to remember that even in nature - getting down to the nitty gritty - is all about balance.

Goodnight, moon.

Buckets

Buckets play a huge part in my life.

There is my ever growing bucket list.

There are buckets that represent different aspects of my life that mean a lot to me (more on this later.)

Then there is the bucket that I am trying ever so hard NOT to kick. At least not until I am old and grey but I cannot control that!

Some buckets that I hold dear to me are:

• Health and Wellness
• Emotional/Mental Well-being
• Spiritual Nourishment

My problem is...I am always gung ho to focus on just one bucket at a time; leaving the rest empty and then I am left with a sense of unbalance in my life and I get nowhere, fast.

Speaking of going nowhere fast...

The last few months I had intended to write and share pictures on this blog but I simply got busy! I went back to the gym, picked up a spare job, stopped going to church regularly, and kind of just felt like I was going through the motions, which I cannot stand! My health and wellness bucket was being fulfilled, but my spiritual bucket was dry. My financial bucket was doing very well but my self care bucket took a hit. Then my dating bucket started getting some attention which leads me to this post.

Sunday Best - Church OOTD

For a couple of months I was talking to someone, seeing them at the gym reguarly, spending time with them after our workouts but the whole going out on dates was a little slow to kick off and then when it kicked off it crashed and burned, no survivors. I was really disappointed. Heck, I was really hurt because I was looking forward to it.

There I was at home, on another Friday night, big shocker! I should have been out on my date that night but he flaked. I was in bed, angry, thumbing through a fitness magazine when I saw, for the 100th time, an announcement of an upcoming (a matter of days) 90 day fitness challenge via Oxygen Magazine. I loved the ladies who were the coaches but I did not want to spend anymore money on workout plans and healthy recipes. But something inside of me told me I needed to do it. I was in such a need of change that I actually paid the money and I joined.

I wanted to share about it as soon as I joined but I always make these big announcements and then nothing ever happens but seeing as next week is the start of Month 2, I think it is time.

I will be sure to post more often so my posts are not this long, sorry! 

My life felt a little more fresh and vibrant but I needed to make some more changes. I realized I had to let go of my spare job because it was causing me too much stress that was not worth it and it was not steering me towards my career. To add insult to injury it was taking away from my self-care time. I needed to stop vegging out in front of Netflix or my smartphone and get productive and unwind with my scriptures and prayer. I also had to stop talking to that guy! Which I did.

Me vs. Me

Back to the challenge. There are two coaches, you could pick one or both. At the beginning of the challenge I picked one coach but have since added the other. The coaches are Erin Stern (#TeamErin) or Amanda Latona (#TeamAmanda). Check out the hashtags on Instagram! I am #TeamAmanda for these 90 days and after that I will follow Erin's plan for another 90 days. 

Here are the things I love about this challenge:

The entire 90 days are planned out for you:
-Your meals are planned out every single day (as a guideline and boooooy do I need it!)
-Your workouts are planned out 

-The coaches have created demo videos of each exercise with proper form
-The community of women who are in this challenge are so supportive and positive of one another

There is no guesswork. 

Grocery Haul

Each Saturday I get my grocery list (that they provide) I go through the fridge, freezer, pantry, and use up what I have so I save money/not waste and then I buy what I need. Every couple of days I do a meal prep and Monday-Friday I hit the gym hard.

So far I have lost some weight, according to the scale, I have yet to measure myself but my clothes are fitting better. I feel stronger and more energized and my family has been extremely supportive.

I have been following the meal plan almost 90%. There are some things that I do not care for and I indulge from time to time. It has been nice taking care of myself from the inside out. Working out for me is not hard, I actually enjoy it. Nutrition is the hard part for me! Whoops! This certainly beats dating someone that obviously did not deserve me and at least now I do not need to let another unworthy person enter my world.

So here I am, several Friday nights later, home, in bed as I blog, and I am okay with that.

If you would like to follow me on instagram you can find me here. @_FitHourglass_

Introduction and Purpose

I love lemons.

I love sunflowers.

Obviously enough to name my blog after them but they have a deeper meaning. 

Here is what it stands for on the surface:

• [Lemons] Being Mexican-American I grew up squeezing lemons on everything. That wonderful sour goodness enhances everything! Even thinking about it makes my mouth water; thank goodness we have two lemon trees on my property.
• [Sunflowers] It was during my middle school years that I realized sunflowers made me happier just looking at them and I still love them to this day.

If you know this proverbial phrase, say it along with me,

"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."

The lemons in my life that have been handed to me, or sometimes chucked in my face, seem to deal with my experiences with relationships, romantic and platonic. 

One of the biggest lemons that I have dealt with, we're talking the ponderosa lemon kind, has really been all about expectations blowing up in my face. My life is so much different than I thought it would be and it has been rather painful at times.

I have always waited, impatiently, for my "Happily Ever After" but my "Once Upon A Time" is taking a while to kick start since I attract or am attracted to the wrong kind of person. So it is my goal to truly go after things that make me happy. I'm looking to learn things, acquire new skills, grow spiritually, emotionally, physically, etc. So even when the lemons keep coming, I want to be able to take it in stride and use it as a launching pad into better things. 

Lemons with a nasty curve ball are going to come but it is up to us to make the most of it and in my life "light" has been very important to me and is something I always aspire to have. We all have gone through dark times, it helps us weigh the good against the bad. Let me tell you it feels so good when you can see that light at the end of the tunnel and it feels even more glorious when you
are on the other side of that darkness and free from its powerful hold. That is one thing I love about sunflowers, they naturally always face and follow the sun. I did not know that until a few years ago but it is amazing and something I want to do too!

So make sure to check in from time to time as I willingly poke fun at myself because I lack grace. I am a huge dork but I am an open book. I am going to fumble a lot along the way; not because I am naturally clumsy but because I am learning that old ways will not open new doors. 

A lot of my journey will deal with self-care* and self-dates because hey! I'm healing and I need to learn how to love myself and my life first before I can let a person of substance and value bless my life. Here are some things I plan on sharing and if there is anything you would like to share with me or have suggestions/requests please do not hesitate. 

The main bullet points are ideas taken from the following site, please click [here] to read more, the smaller bullet points are what I currently do or hope to begin soon. 

• Physical 
• The Gym Life
• 5k/10k Training/Events
• Physical Rehab (Plantar Fasciitis/Tendinitis)
• Belly Dancing 
• Weight Watchers
• Shopping at local Farmers Markets and Farm Stands
• Cooking/Baking things to nourish and strengthen my body
• Paleo, Clean Eating, Anti-inflammatory, Gluten Free
• Having fun (in moderation) and baking goodies
• Emotional
• Zantangle/Doodles
• Girl Talk: Venting is fine but no whining allowed! Fix it and move on.
• Learn to sew: Anything would be nice but clothes is ideal.
• Gardening: Once California is out of this horrific drought!
• Learn guitar/piano 
• Spiritual (Mine is synonomous with religion: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) 
• Praying/Meditation
• Reading Scriptures/Positive Quotes/Self-help
• Going to Church/Temple
• Being in nature
• Attitude of Gratitude 
• Intellectual: I struggle with this one. Any ideas?
• Critical Thinking
• reading, puzzles, look at situations from different perspectives  
• Career
• Teaching Assistant work
• Social (nurturing relationships with people outside of your immediate family)
• Being open to inspiration to do all things listed below and more
• Calling up a girlfriend for lunch
• Walks with friends to catch up and be healthy at the same time
• Sending notes (snail mail)
• Sending texts
• Relational
• Adventure time! (You'll get a feel for this as you read more about me)
• Dinner Parties
• Heart to Hearts
• #5quekrew
• Celebrations
• Safety and Security
• Thank you, ObamaCare! Check ups are important!
• Budgeting: Such a fun sucking word for me. It limits the fun but thoughtless spending is the worst and adds to the clutter. It is nice to make money but keeping it and building a savings is phenomenal!
• Take care of yourself NOW, even if you feel like you do not need to. Avoid having to "deal with it" especially if it can be prevented.

So there you have it! That is my life in a not so small nutshell. I feel like it is very self-absorbed since I do not have children of my own. Until then I am going to appreciate and respect the time from now until then and have some fun.

Best Wishes,

Julia