Do your part: Coronavirus + Social Conscience. Learn how YOUR decisions can SAVE LIVES. About seven weeks ago, I was considering skipping my friend’s birthday party. It won’t be more than 10-12 people, I thought, shouldn’t be too bad. This was before everything was “shut down” and every other word in most conversations was “virus.” I’ve been following international news about coronavirus almost obsessively, since the beginning of the year. My anxiety levels were through the roof. The minute we pulled up to the restaurant, I wanted to turn around and go back home. We eventually walk inside, and the place is packed. Throughout the entire hour and a half that we stayed, I felt almost as if I was going to drop dead right there on the floor, at any given minute. I’ve always been a germaphobe, always found large crowds to trigger feelings of both anxiety and claustrophobia. I mean… add a possibility of an infectious disease to the equation, and things can get bad, quickly. So, we’re sitting at the table waiting for the birthday girl to arrive. All I see are people dancing, bumping into each other, touching. You really don’t realize how much you touch […]

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Well, here’s another post I never thought I’d write: how to pack for a weekend trip. I’ve been a notorious over-packer ever since I can remember. It doesn’t matter if I was going away for three weeks or three days. Actually, for some strange reason, packing for a weekend trip has always been more difficult than getting ready for longer getaways. It might be because most of the time when I travel, it’s for periods longer than two weeks. I mean, I can’t help it. I just like to be prepared for every scenario and know that I have access to everything I need, at any given time. Being an over-planner and a control freak will do that to you. Strangely enough, I’ve noticed that my packing habits have improved significantly when I introduced a mindfulness practice into my life. Whenever I had plans of going away somewhere, I’d always go shopping, buy a bunch of new outfits for every day of the trip. Then I’d stress about not having enough room for everything or about having to pay any excess or overweight baggage fees, if checking in bags. Mindfulness practice helped me shift my focus to things that actually […]

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It’s no secret that I have a thing for candles. I’ve always loved candles that have a nice, strong throw. I just love burning a candle right after I clean the house, while I’m cooking, when I’m writing, when I’m editing, reading a book… Probably the only time I don’t burn candles this time of year is when I’m sleeping. Don’t worry though, I have a bit of an OCD when it comes to those things, and always check every room before going to bed- just to make sure I’ve put out my candles. Lately, though, I’ve been really struggling with my meds and extreme nausea. This means that I can’t even leave my Bath and Body Works favorites (like Winter or Eucalyptus Mint) opened, as their cold throw alone is way too strong for me right now. So, in today’s post, I’ll talk about few winter favorites that are on the delicate side, and won’t induce a headache. If you love a good strong throw, Bath and Body Works candles are of course great, but I also love DW Home and Scentsational– if you can spot them at your local HomeGoods, grab as many as you can because they’re […]

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Fear of failure is one of those things that can leave you feeling paralyzed. It can be the one thing that stops you from going after what you want in life. There are times when you’re so afraid of failure that you decide not to try at all. Having stronger self-esteem and more confidence can help you overcome that fear. Take control of your self-esteem and confidence, and you can take control of that fear; you can take control of your life. Building up your self-esteem and confidence doesn’t necessarily meant that that fear will disappear forever. Most likely, it will not; it will always be there, hidden somewhere deep. Having that confidence and believing in yourself though, can help you feel that fear and go after your dreams, anyway. It can help you will find the strength to beat that fear, to break through the wall. The strength to say: “I might fail, and that’s okay because if I do, I’ll try again.” This can be as simple as changing a few of your habits, but “simple” doesn’t always mean easy. Not if your struggle with your self-esteem and confidence is a life-long battle. Building your self-esteem and confidence […]

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5 Simple Self-Care Ideas What are some small things that used to put a smile on your face, things that used to make you feel happy and excited when you were a child? I remember jumping on the bed, reading books while sitting next to the open window, listening to the rain. I also remember spending a lot of time in the kitchen with my grandmother, baking, or running barefoot on the grass in the yard. Things were so simple back then- we didn’t need much to put a smile on our faces. These days we’re too stressed, too worried, too preoccupied. What is your biggest challenge, when it comes to practicing self-care? Time is definitely one of the big ones. Another is admitting that you do need (and deserve) a small break. It’s getting over the idea that self-care practices are all about self-indulgence. I like to think that it’s a “you can’t pour from an empty cup” kind of thing. 5 SIMPLE SELF-CARE IDEAS FOR WHEN YOU’RE SHORT ON TIME GO BACK IN TIME You’re never too old to jump on the bed. Or run barefoot on the grass, or dance in the rain, or spend an hour cloud-watching. […]

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