Category: Health&Wellness

Can The Archer Help Us With Goal Setting?

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson

During a recent Moon Circle we were discussing the archer. How they pull back their arrow, pause to assess the lay of the land, then take aim toward the target. Once they are sure and ready, they release the arrow, hoping it hits the target. We then talked about how this is similar to the beginning of a new year and goal setting.

Did I lose you? Let me explain.

Pull the arrow back, pause and reflect

For goal setting, I need to stop and reflect, not only the past year, but on past goals. How did they work out? What worked and what didn’t? You see this year, my overall theme is Take the Leap! So, I have to pull back and think of other times I took a big leap. For me, this was 19 years ago when I moved from St. Louis to New York City at the ripe old age of 24 to pursue my goal of musical theatre. Now, that goal did not pan out, but living in NYC sure did as I am still here loving every minute. Another example I can think of is leaving my corporate job to be a stay at home mom to my baby 9 years ago. This was a huge leap of faith and another one that was beautiful and such a special time in my life.

Take aim

Next, I have to use what I learned during reflection to create those next steps for my goals. So, for my goal of Making Our Apartment a Home I have to look back and think about what worked in the past and how I can apply that to this goal. Let’s look at the big leap of moving to NYC, I was organized, did research, and was prepared to the Nth degree to move to a brand new city. For decluttering and beautifying our apartment I can use that same strategy – read books and articles on cleaning, work with my husband to come up with plans and systems to use as we go from room to room, and we will get prepared before each cleaning session so we stay on task.

Another way to take aim is to see what you want at the end of the year and work backwards. I For example, I want to Live a Magical Life, but what exactly does that mean for me? I want to have a daily ritual that connects me to spirit and magic everyday. I want to have a journaling practice that nourishes my soul. I want to read books about Goddesses and learn more about the cultures and customs of countries I don’t know. These are all the smaller steps toward the main goal. Now I have my aims, my processes and my systems.

Once ready, let the arrow go toward the target

This is the actual step of doing the damn thing….which is probably the hardest step when we think about goal setting, but if we think of the archer, it’s the easiest – you just let go. Can we use that mindset for our goals? Can we make the act of actually doing our daily tasks that help us achieve our goals easier? Honestly, I’m still working on this mindset, but I hope having this image of an archer in my head will help me when things start feeling hard.

Because, here’s the thing, doing big things and taking big leaps is hard and changing systems and habits is also hard. When I moved to NYC at 24, that was hard – yes, it was exciting and fun and felt like a big glorious adventure – but it was also hard at times. Leaving my job to stay at home with a brand new baby was fun and amazing, but it was also hard at times. 2020 was hard a LOT of times, but we made it through, and we can do it again!

Can you use the image of an archer to help you with your 2021 goals? Have you ever taken a big leap before? What big leaps are you planning for this year? I would love to know in the comments below.

Using Tarot with my PowerSheets for 2021 Goal Setting

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson

Most of you probably know this by now — unless you are super new — but I love goal setting!! 

This year, I decided to marry one love with another and use my Tarot cards with my PowerSheets.  Ok, I can hear the questions loud and clear: How do you use tarot with goal setting? What are PowerSheets? Why are you so dang cute?  No? That wasn’t one of your questions?  Are you sure because I’m pretty dang cute?!?  

What are PowerSheets?

PowerSheets are a goal setting workbook from Cultivate What Matters. 

I used their undated 6-month version about two years ago, and while I loved the prep work, I also really like setting quarterly goals so after those were all used up, I didn’t purchase again.  Until, a friend of mine told me that this year they were adding quarterly refreshes and more mini-steps so basically it was my perfect goal setting system!  

Why? Because of the Prep work — 50 or so pages of guided questions to help you analyze and think about what’s important to YOU and your dreams and your vision for the year and for your life.  Not what goals you think you should have, but what goals you want to have.  Not what goals will make your neighbor think you’re awesome, but goals that will help YOU feel awesome and be awesome and do awesome things!

I have a serious addiction to workbooks and guided journals so the prep work is right up my alley. I love diving in and getting into this brain of mine to find out how I tick and what I want to accomplish this year and in life overall. I like taking a big picture look, then narrowing it down bit by bit so I have my five goals for 2021, smaller goals for Quarter 1 of 2021, and then even smaller goals for January 2021.  

It feels soooooo good!

It doesn’t hurt that I get to use bright colored markers, pens, stickers, and washi tape – let that inner child play, you know?!?!

How do you use Tarot with Goal Setting?

So once I figured out my big picture goals for 2021, I got out my deck of cards and started pulling one for each goal.   What I’m doing is getting a litmus test on whether or not this goal is going to work for me or if I need to do anything different. Rewrite the goal maybe? Make sure I include certain things during my quarterly goal setting sessions. Or scrap it all together.  Let me walk you through my five goals below.

Write and Self-Publish Entertaining YA Novels 

I pulled the Nine of Swords which isn’t exactly a great positive card, but I pulled a clarifying animal guide card and got the Shark which is about honesty. What? Ok…right off the bat, you’re probably thinking I’ve lost my mind but I started to really think about things and I realized that I am scared to self-publish again. I love writing, but the business side of things still eludes me and I find myself flailing around.  Nine of Swords is about grief, sadness, anxiety, and worry.  If I’m being honest (The Shark), I have a ton of worry and anxiety around this goal.  These cards helped me come to terms with this fact, made me face that I have these fears and I did actually think about scrapping this goal.  But the fact is, I love writing and love hearing from readers about my books. I want to do this goal, so I know I might have some mindset shirts and some stuff to deal with and that’s okay!

Start my Tarot Business

I pulled The Hierophant and that is awesome! This card is all about spiritual wisdom, traditions, balance and being a teacher or leader – the holder of truth.  I take this as a very good sign that I’m on the right track with my ideas of what I want my tarot business to look like. It’s a little scary putting this out here so early but I want to help writers, actors, musicians, and other creative people deal with blocks, fear of success, imposter syndrome, and life in general using the tarot cards.  I will be doing this via courses, books, and hopefully life coaching. I feel 100% to take this goal on for next year.

Make our Apartment a HOME

Our place is a cluttered mess and I want to change that so I pulled Knight of Pentacles which is all about hard work, charging ahead, productivity, routines, and responsibility.  Basically the road won’t be easy with this goal, but it will be so worth it.  Not much to say here – this was a great card and I feel pretty good about things.

Make my self-improvement a priority

I feel like, honestly, I do this but I wanted to make it an official goal so I have a place to track things and make sure that I’m actually doing it.  The card I pulled for this goal was the 4 of Pentacles.  What?! This is about control, security, not having connection to spirit (okay, getting closer to making sense) and saving money.  So don’t buy a bunch of stuff for self-improvement…but what? I was still confused so I pulled a clarifying animal spirit card for this goal as well and got The Golden Egg which is all about the message at the center of the heart.  Time for introspection and contemplation (adding more meditation back into my life) and staying open to hearing the messages you need to hear.  Basically I need to take the pentacle off the top of my head so I can be open to the divine, and stop controlling every little thing – BE OPEN.  

Now I gotcha and I can keep that in mind while I dig deeper each month.

Live a Magical Life!

I pulled the 9 of Wands…which is all about a test of faith, courage and persistence and being tired. I need to get clear on what I will need to be successful here and then communicate with others. I have to stop allowing things to get in my way. 

It’s me…I get in my own way. 

I want every day to feel magical, I want to use witchcraft to make the mundane into magic.  Stirring my coffee with intentions, charging my lotions for self-love, using my candles and crystals, and seeing myself in a new light.  Maybe the card wasn’t 100% but some good things to remember and it will keep me on my toes this year.

After I did these, I pulled one card to represent all of my 2021 goals and got my old friend, The Chariot. I see this card as my inner guide telling me I’m on the right track.  It’s about action and determination, success and will power, and a spiritual transformation.  I’ll take it!!

Have you started working on your 2021 goals yet?  If you need help, hit me up below and I’ll pull a few cards for you!  

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5 Ways to Handle Feedback & Criticism Like a Champ

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson

Getting feedback on your writing, or any other task, isn’t always easy. I recently got my manuscript back from my editor with all of her feedback and notes and a video outlining all the things I needed to fix. That same week, I got a pretty harsh review on one of the free Tarot Readings I’m doing as part of my Tarot Reader Certification program (more on that later). In both cases, I felt my heart race, my chest tighten, and I felt like I was on the attack. 

This is normal! 

But instead of crying in my coffee or yelling at the sky, I did these 5 things and felt like a true champ. 

Give yourself time and space

Don’t read through the feedback or reviews (seriously, this works great for those less-than-stellar book reviews!) until you have time to devote to reading it slowly and the mental space to not be distracted by TV, your family, or day job tasks. You want to set time on the calendar to hold space for yourself and for the feedback.

Let yourself feel your feelings

Reading feedback or criticism of any kind is going to bring up all kinds of feelings, this is natural. You’re going to feel defensive, upset, angry – don’t stop yourself from feeling these things. Talk it out – even just to yourself, write it out, dance it out, draw it out, whatever you do when you have big feelings – let yourself feel all the things. This is another reason for taking space, because you want to have the time to feel and process these things.

Take a break

After you read through the entire thing, and you’ve let yourself feel all the feelings – give yourself a break. If this is a major criticism or feedback from your boss or your editor, take a day or two. If it’s something smaller (but still just as serious to your psyche) maybe an hour or two will be sufficient. But give yourself that extended time to let yourself process what you read without responding. This is important – do not email, do not respond, do not take any actions or make any changes until you let yourself take that space away from the feedback. Please, don’t be rash – we can let our emotions get the best of us, send off a quick email, and then realize too late what we did. You don’t want to burn any bridges or cause any hurt feelings.

Re-read the feedback

After your break, re-read the feedback. See how you feel now? Still angry? Feeling better?  Can you now see their point of view? Especially in the case of an editor’s feedback – can you see that she might be right – even if only on certain things?  Is this something you are willing to fix?  Start asking yourself these questions while you re-read the feedback as many times as you need. If you need to email them back or respond in some way, start taking notes about what you want to say. Again – do not respond yet. If you’re still feeling very prickly or on guard, repeat the steps above – talk out your feelings, take a break, and come back. You don’t have to agree on everything but you do need to be able to express that in a calm, clear manner.

Fix the problems

Once you have calmed down, seen the feedback from the other person’s point of view, and responded in a mature manner it is now time to make the necessary changes. Do you need more input? For example, my editor and I are meeting this week to work on a new editing plan for the final draft of this book. In the case of my tarot reading, I just made some choices for how to read going forward, no further input needed. And if you decided not to change something, and you’ve told them in a clear and calm manner, can you live with that choice? Good! 

How do you handle feedback or criticism? Could you try these next time the situation arises? What do you think might happen? Let me know in the comments below!

Next time, I’ll be talking about my editing plan and how to create one for your own book, see you then. 

Do You Want To Be More Productive, A Better Athlete, and Less Stressed? Drink Coffee!

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson

Are you a coffee or tea drinker? Hot or iced?

I’m with Lorelai Gilmore…Coffee, coffee, coffee. Usually, I drink mine hot but in the summer months I love a good cold brew!  

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world, but did you also know that it can help you be more productive, more athletic, less stressed and generally healthier?

More Productive

Coffee, or more specifically the caffeine found in coffee, helps maintain alertness which improves your performance and can enhance your mood.  Caffeine also ramps up your brain’s energy levels which helps enhance your memory, your ability to focus, and your problem-solving skills.  I know that having a cup of coffee in the morning, besides just making me a better Jennifer, does help my noodle wake up and feel more alert and ready to tackle all the things I have to do in a day. 

Better Athlete

Studies of all types of athletes – from runners to weightlifters – find that caffeine intake improves the amount of work you can perform during a given bout of exercise.  These studies have shown that caffeine can extend the time it takes to reach physical exhaustion and decrease the sense of effort during any sort of activity, even prolonged breathing. Coffee is absorbed quickly with peak blood levels occurring 45 minutes to an hour after consumption so drink up and power through!

Less Stressed

Did you know that even smelling a cup of coffee can reduce your stress? A study done at Seoul National University, studying the brain of rats, discovered that those who were exposed to the aroma of coffee saw changes in brain proteins that are tied to stress. So, take a few seconds each morning to really breathe in that wonderful smell of coffee brewing and feel the stress just melt away.   

Generally Healthier 

Research suggests that a cup of coffee can help alleviate symptoms from migraines and could even stop the painful headache altogether if consumed early enough.  This is because caffeine constricts blood vessels and helps counter the painful effects of blood vessel dilation in your head.  This is why many popular over the counter migraine meds have caffeine as an ingredient.

The oils in coffee, called kahweol and cafestol, are potent anti-inflammatory agents that can actually protect the brain against oxidative stress and DNA damage.  An inflamed brain is a poorly functioning brain.  Regular consumption of coffee can keep our brains safe and healthy in the long run. 

In moderation, 1-2 cups of coffee a day, coffee can be amazing for your productivity, your physical activity, your stress levels, and even your overall health!  So enjoy that cup of coffee and crush your day.   Coffee = Life

So, tell me in the comments below – do you drink coffee or other caffeine-fueled beverages like black tea? What do you think it does for you overall?

 

 

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3 Reasons Why I Love Using A Paper Planner in 2020

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson

I keep seeing this one particular meme going around about the silliest purchase of the year is a 2020 planner. And I have to say that I totally disagree with this sentiment. I love my planner. In fact, I have two!  Okay, I actually have three planners and a few notebooks that I use, but today I’m going to talk about two from my large stack of organizational fun – my weekly Erin Condren life planner and my Erin Condren daily binder pages. And no, this post is not sponsored (I wish!) – Erin Condren just happens to be my planner of choice.

 

For me…there are three main reasons why I love using a paper planner over digital options only.

 

It keeps me on track

 

I have a section in the front of my weekly planner that has my quarterly goals, another section for monthly and weekly task lists, and then, of course, my overall schedule telling me when my son has google hangout sessions for school and appointments with my VA clients for me. My daily planner is where I list everything that needs to happen each day and its way messier than my weekly planner – it’s the workhorse that gets crossed up, notes taken and things moved around.

 

These things keep me moving forward on my goals, on task for work and writing projects and help me make sure I have time for fun & hobbies AND make sure we log on for all the things we have to attend. I know at a glance what’s coming up today, what’s coming up tomorrow, and even big items for the following few months. It gives me a sense of calm. I know – in a very big picture way – what’s happening and when.

  

It’s FUN!

 

Stickers have been a part of my life since I was a little girl in the 1980s with my giant albums of stickers that I would trade with friends over lunch. I used them to decorate my Trapper Keeper, diaries, and my bulletin board (where I had pictures of Joey Lawrence…because I was cool). I love stickers! I love functional, colorful boxes that help me notice an appointment on the page. I love cute little cartoons with coffee cups or laptops. I just love how bright and cute they are. Laying down stickers on a piece of paper is so much dang fun – it puts a smile on my face and makes me happy…and that’s really all I need right now. 

 

The other thing about paper planners is the online community – the Facebook groups and the Instagram channels – where other planner girls (and some guys!) talk about their planners, how they use them, what sticker companies they love and use. I have gotten some really amazing ideas and have some really great online friendships with these people. I feel like I’m a part of something much bigger than just me and my planner on a Sunday night. 

 

It’s my “Me Time”

 

Yes, I use planner time as my Jennifer/Mommy alone time. I spend about 25-30 minutes on Sunday night at my desk with my stickers and my digital calendar creating my weekly spread and then each morning and night I check in with my daily schedule for the messy to-do list.  I can listen to music or have it silent, I light a candle sometimes or turn on my salt lamp. I have some decaf tea or hot chocolate and I spend some time with my planner. I always feel so much better when I have that time, too. I feel ready to tackle another week, I feel prepared to face the meetings and the work. AND I’m a happier and a better Mommy when I come back into the living room to play a game or watch a movie.

 

Knowing I have my schedule organized and my planner all pretty makes me smile and keeps me calm. I don’t have to freak out about things because I know it’s written down, out of my head and onto the page. I know where things, things are getting tracked and noted. That makes my other “me times” easier – because they are also scheduled into my day. 

 

Do you use a paper planner or are you all digital all the time?  What do you use as your Me Time for the day/week?

 

 

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Working out at home is NOT easy…I miss OrangeTheory

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson

Day 42 (I think) of quarantine and, luckily, we are doing okay.  It’s just – when you live in Queens, NY (you know, the epicenter of the epicenter) it makes going out to do anything tricky.  I haven’t actually left my apartment building in four weeks.  I’ve done laundry in our basement and grabbed mail & packages from the lobby, but I haven’t stepped outside in weeks.

 

I knew I needed to keep up with my exercise habit, I mean before this I was just a few classes shy of 100 workouts at OrangeTheory Fitness. I was feeling a part of that community, made great friends, and felt so much better. I had more energy, was sleeping better, just overall felt better.  And then the reality of my home life changing, adding in online schooling, and the fact that outside is kinda scary kinda stopped me from working out altogether.

 

For the first month of lockdown, I only did one at home OTF workout. You see one of the reasons I joined OrangeTheory was because I hate working out at home. I’m not self-motivated. I have no inner reserve to call upon to get the workouts done. I need classes and a coach and good music.  

 

After that first month, I wasn’t sleeping well.  My energy was shot and I was cranky. Part of this was missing exercise, but another part was just my overall routine was disrupted so I decided to create a new morning routine that would include some sort of movement.  I have a really old book on my shelf called “8 Minutes in the Morning” where you do two strength type exercises a day with a warm-up and stretching afterward.  I did the whole book about 15+ years ago when I lived in a studio apartment in Manhattan so I knew I could manage them here in Queens.

 

I looked through the book one weekend and then set my new routine up.  I would get up at 6 am – do my morning pages, affirmations, meditation, and then grab the old book and do the warm-up, moves, and stretching.  So far, I’ve only missed one day due to not sleeping well the night before. Otherwise, I’ve been really consistent and I just started week 3 this past Monday.

 

The book is a 4-week program so I’m thinking after it’s over I’ll either do the whole thing again or start doing some of the OrangeTheory YouTube videos. I’m back into the swing of things and feeling strong again. I’m feeling ready to tackle a longer workout.  It was really hard to go from 3 one-hour workouts a week consistently to nothing for a full month.

 

Now, I’m still feeling the effects of quarantine, but I am able to handle things better. I have more patience with myself and my family. I’m able to manage my stress levels, get really good sleep (most nights), and laugh instead of scream when things get tough.

 

How are you handling things? Are you getting in some movement? Are you able to get out and about where you live?  Just know that it’s still all okay.  I needed some movement, but it doesn’t look like it did before and that’s fine, so if you’re not able to do the things you did before, know that eventually, we will get back. I hope.

 

 

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Is This Our New Normal?

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson

I’ve been quiet. I’ve retreated into old favorite TV shows, cuddles with my kid and Skype dates with my Mom. I’ve hidden away because I wasn’t sure what to say.

How should I deal with the new normal? How should I react to the fact that our Disney vacation (the one I’ve been planning for a year, and looking forward to for at least 2) is now canceled? How should I handle the fact that my son and husband and both home and we are dealing with online school? Can I be stressed out and grateful? Can I still be entertaining while also being a little scared?

Is it okay to be funny? Is it okay to tell stories? What is my role now? How do I reach the people that need to be reached? What does that even mean?

So, instead, I did nothing. I sat with these questions hoping an answer would magically appear, but instead I was just left with more questions. And I figure that’s how most of the country and the world is right now and you know what? That’s okay!

My big reason for telling coming of age stories is to share with young adults (and anyone that loves a good YA story) that they are not alone. That other people have embarrassing things happen, issues with their parents, problems at school, fights with their friends, first loves and dreams for the future.  Right now, almost the whole world is going through the same thing – fear, worry, and hope. Dreams for the future and aspirations for what comes next.

Will I say the right thing? Who knows. Will this message make someone feel better? I hope so.  It’s okay to be scared. It’s okay to not know. It’s all okay. It’s okay to have a million projects going, or flop on the couch with a cup of coffee and the TV remote.  It’s really all okay.

I’m here to tell you that even us adults have no idea what we’re doing most days and even more so right now while we try to figure out day jobs, goals, kids, spouses, parents, shopping, and surviving while also laughing at an old comedy, or the joke your 8-year-old tells, or something funny your Mom says on Skype.  It’s okay.

If you are feeling lonely and scared, reach out.  Comment below and just say HEY…let me know what’s going on in your tiny corner of the world.  Are you staying in? Reading more? Watching that favorite TV show for the 10th time? This week it was Psych for me because Shawn and Gus always make me laugh! I would love to hear your story and hopefully, soon I’ll find the words to share mine again.

Stay safe,
Jennifer

OrangeTheory’s Transformation Challenge & What I’ve Learned About Myself

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson

We are half-way through OrangeTheory’s Transformation Challenge and I have learned a few things about myself and just in general that I would like to share.

💪 I love the community aspect of OTF and the challenge BUT I’m not much of a joiner when it comes to the themed weeks. Sorry, but I only have regular workout clothes, not costume pieces. I do like the ones where we have to take pictures with other people and wear our colors.

💪 Going three times a week is still all I can manage right now. In fact, I did two classes in a  row (Tuesday and then Wednesday, both at 12noon) and I thought I was legit not going to make it to Friday.

💪 OrangeTheory is not only great for my physical health, but it’s also doing wonders for my mental health. I could be having the worst day ever but I come out of class with a smile on my face. 

💪 Even though I am slow and lift using lighter weights, I have amazing form and I am getting stronger and faster. I did some chest presses with 15-pound weights and I’m power walking at 3.3 mph consistently. For me, this is HUGE!

💪 InBody Scans definitely give you more information than a regular bathroom scale — I gained a pound during our midpoint weigh-in but according to the other numbers it was all muscle so score.

💪 I am a fitness person! I miss OTF when I’m gone for too long, I’m thinking of signing up for the DriTri (which sounds slightly terrifying), and I have a 5-year goal of participating in a RunDisney race — who am I?!?! I never thought I would be this person…EVER. 

If you are an OrangeTheory junkie, like me, how’s the transformation challenge been for you?  If you do some other type of exercise – can you see similarities between what I’ve learned and how it’s been for you as a fitness person? 

Let me know in the comments below – I would love to hear your stories of getting stronger and faster and having more mental health!

 

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Trying New Things On My Road To A Zero-Waste Lifestyle

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson

This might surprise you, especially since I haven’t really shared this part of my life with you, but I’m pretty crunchy granola. I mean, we used cloth diapers when our son was a baby – which most of our friends thought was pretty weird and extreme. I loved it! And having such a good experience with soft bamboo and organic cotton diapers led me to reusable menstrual products, reusable shopping bags, and nice glass and stainless steel bottles for water and coffee when out and about. 

Then the last few years I got a bit lazy and having my son accidentally throw another reusable snack bag in the trash at daycare made me decide that regular Ziplocs would be easier. But as we approached 2020 I decided I wanted to make a few more changes – very slowly – that would take me a bit closer to a zero-waste lifestyle.

Now, let me stress a few things – I’m not going to ever be militant about things. We will still have paper towels in the house for really gross messes (I have a kid) and I don’t see myself ever giving up toilet paper (seriously, that’s a thing) but I do think the changes I’ve made so far and the ones on my list below make my life easier, and it’s fun – it makes me feel good. 

So, I went to Pinterest and started doing some research and made a list. I started with bamboo cotton rounds to replace cotton balls, a bamboo toothbrush to replace my plastic one, and I got samples of shampoo and conditioner bars. This last one was the weird one, but I was intrigued from reading about them and watching a few how-to videos on YouTube. I went with a company called Ethique because they offer samples, are available on Amazon, and got rave reviews across the board.

The cotton rounds and bamboo toothbrush took no time getting used to at all, but I was really worried about those bars and then I took my first shower and felt like a freaking goddess!  The shampoo and conditioner bars were LOVE at first use, they smelled good, they lathered well and were just really easy to use. My hair felt, looked, and smelled fantastic! I was completely hooked. I barely waited to order full sizes and a cute container to hold them in the shower. 

The next item on my list was a lotion bar, regular old soap bar as shaving cream, and buying reusable coffee basket to replace filters and new reusable straws (we have a few but I would like a few more). So, I ordered another sample pack from Ethique that had body bars and went to work and I’ll be honest, I’m not in love with the lotion bar yet. My skin feels great afterward, but it’s a bit tricky to slide on my skin – I’m either too damp or too dry, but I’m going to keep trying until the sample is gone to make up my mind 100%. Oh, and regular old castile soap – we use Dr. Bronner – works great as shaving cream so that was also a win!  I haven’t bought the coffee basket or straws yet, but they are next on the hit list.

Other items to look for or buy – mesh produce bags, those silicone baking sheets instead of using foil all the time, and beeswax covers or something else to cover food instead of saran wrap. If you consider yourself eco-friendly or zero-waste what else should I add to my list?  I’m trying to buy or find a few things at a time, and also figure out what around the house I can already use or repurpose.

Even if this seems extreme to you, what new things have you tried this year? It can be scary to step out of our comfort zone, even if it’s something we want to do, so know you are not alone and that being a little nervous is totally normal. If you’d like some help or just want to brag on yourself – because we need to celebrate the small wins – comment below and let me know!

 

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The Longest January

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson

Anyone else thinking this January has literally gone on forever?!?!  I mean, there have been 5 Wednesdays!!

AND doesn’t it seem like everyone is all go-go-go this month?  Making new goals, starting big projects, and doing All. The. Things?  Aren’t you already tired? I know I am. I think that’s because we are still in winter mode, still in the hibernation phase. The curl up on the couch, kick it with Baby Yoda and drink hot cocoa (or wine, I’m not judging) phase.

I mean, I get it – it’s the beginning of a new year and a new decade (although – is it really, or does that start in 2021? I’m kinda confused) and we’re all being pulled to make these giant 1, 5, and 10-year goals. BUT it’s also dark at 5 pm still and COLD. I’m not ready to jump into action.

Have I gotten some stuff done this month? Sure! But not as much as I wanted and it’s not for lack of trying, it’s for lack of energy.  I’m tired and that’s OK. I think I’ve finally realized that it’s okay to still be in winter mode. To want to curl up under the covers with a book and take some much-needed self-care time. It’s okay to plan out the next few months and then sit back and go – yes, that’s going to be awesome, now where’s my remote?  

If we start doing, doing, doing now and miss out on the planning and the rest and the dreaming part then I think we get 6 months into the year, feel burnt out, and just give up.  I don’t want to do that and I don’t want you to do that either. I’m not saying – don’t do anything though. I’m saying if you’d rather read a non-fiction book that supports your goal – great!  If you want to watch YouTube and gather research – awesome! If you want to make plans and journal and brainstorm and mind map and then take a very long nap – amazing! You are not behind, you are exactly where you need to be.

And so am I!  And that’s beautiful.

So, tell me…what are you doing this month to support your goals?  No matter what that looks like, let me know so we can celebrate together!

 

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