My Top 5 Self-Love Activities

I don't know about you, but this time of year things can be, well... dreary.

Everything just seems to have slowed down. It's cold outside. The sun is shining much less. 

You feel me?

This is exactly why NOW is the time to check in with your self-love things.

You know... the things you do that make you feel the most connected to yourself. The things that remind you that you are a being worth loving and caring for. The things that make you feel human and whole and real.

Today I am sharing my very own self-love things with you in hopes that you may be inspired to reflect on your very own.

Here are my top 5 self-love Activities!

1. The mirror exercise.

   This one is probably the absolute hardest, but one of the most profound ways to reconnect with your inner self-love. Here’s how you do it: Stand in front of a mirror. You can start with your clothes on, but the best way to do this exercise is in your underwear or naked. Stand there, and lovingly notice the parts of your body that you see. Challenge yourself to say something loving about the parts you find yourself ridiculing in the mirror. Think about what that part of your body does for you. Thank your body for being there for you.

2. Daily gratitude.

   The way you do this exercise is simple. You can do it quietly in your mind while you are getting ready for the day. Simply state 1-3 things that you are profoundly grateful for within yourself. What about yourself do you love dearly? What are you grateful for physically? What have you done recently that you can celebrate and love on?

3. Putting on lotion mindfully.

   This activity is meant to be a self-love exercise for when you are needing to reconnect with yourself physically. Put lotion on slowly and intentionally after taking a shower. I love to sit down for this one and notice the various parts of my physical being that I am grateful for. Celebrate your toes. Your legs. Your thighs. Your tummy. As you rub lotion on various parts of your body, honor the very vessel that you are in that allows you to experience life.

4. Letter to self in 5 years.

   When you are having a really tough time in life, this exercise can be powerful in giving yourself permission to be exactly where you are at right now, and to still be loved for it. Sit down and grab a pen and paper and write a letter to the you in 5 years time. You will write two letters to yourself in this activity. One letter is to the you in 5 years that has changed in a positive way, living life aligned the way you most want for yourself. The other letter is to the you in 5 years who is still doing the same behaviors. The idea is that both exercises create space for you to reflect on where you at. After writing, try to sink in the feelings you have for the YOU you most want to be in 5 years time.

5. Journal writing.

   This is a daily exercise of self-love where you create space to be with yourself and your thoughts. I love to write in a journal as a way to reflect on life, though some people I know and work with love to have a focus with their writing. A sentence starter like, “Today I learned…” or “Today I am celebrating…” is a great way to be reflective. Personally, I like to just write whatever comes up on my heart!

There you have it! These are my current go-to exercises for self-love that I find to be the most helpful. I hope you sink into this cold weather season with rhythms that give you comfort and remind you that you are so very loved.

My Top 3 Methods for Creating a Compelling Vision

I am all about setting New Year's Resolutions and creating a word of the year.

However, there is by far, one absolute must do when it comes to kicking off the new year…
And that, my friend, is creating a compelling vision.

I must admit, at first when I created a vision years ago, I was a skeptic. But when I went back to revisit my 5-year vision just a handful of years later, I was BLOWN AWAY at just how much I had manifested in real-time in my day to day life.

That dream kitchen I thought would never ever be my reality? It's mine. Now. At 34 years old.

A waitlist filled with clients ready to team up and work with me? A constant in my business now- and one that I am eternally grateful for.

Running programs in my business that help people feel and live their very best lives? Yup. In fact, I currently run TWO annual programs that do just this!

I do not in any way share this with you to brag. (In fact, I notice that part of me right now that is hesitant to publish this post for the fear of anyone out there thinking that of me in any way. But I am pushing past that fear, friends, because I know YOU are here because we align in some way and that you will see my greater intention for sharing.)

I share this with you to inspire you to dream your big dreams, and to not fear them. Sometimes we can be so afraid of what we really, really want. (This of course calls for a lovely 90's throwback. I miss this song!). Sometimes what we want makes us uncomfortable. And other times, when we think about what we might really want, we begin to feel sad about our present reality.

But there’s thing about creating a compelling vision:

A vision moves you to action.

A vision creates energy, love, and excitement around your present reality (if of course, you let it) and it empowers you to get out there and align your daily actions towards what you are wanting.

Maybe you are a skeptic like I was. Either way, today I want to share with you some of my favorite ways to create a vision. I hope you’ll take a few moments out of your day this month to put your vision together. The idea is to hang it up somewhere where you can see it and let it serve as a powerful reminder of the life you are wanting to create for yourself.

Here are my top 3 methods for creating a compelling vision:

1. Create a vision board.

   I love this classic take on creating a vision so much because it is probably the most widely used way to do it! A quick search on google will likely bring up several visuals to inspire you.

   Here’s how to do it: Grab a sheet of paper or poster board and a bunch of magazines. Cut out words and images that inspire you when you think about what you want in your life this next year. Do not think twice about it. Just cut them out, and put them in a pile. Then arrange the words and images on the paper. Glue them down, and there you have it! Your vision board is complete. Take a moment to look at your board and see what comes up for you as you read it. What goals emerge? What unfinished business do you have that you are excited to do?

2. Create a vision box.

   A vision box is very similar to a vision board, but the main difference is that you are doing the exact same activity as above, just on a box instead of a piece of paper or poster board. I love to place the box somewhere where I will see it often after I am finished, like on my desk or in my bedroom. You may want to fill the box with inspiring notes or messages to help you create motivation when you need it most!

3. Create a vision journal.

   A vision journal is a fun twist on a vision board in that you are covering the front page of a journal with images and words that inspire you. I have had some clients who have chosen to use their entire journal as a vision exercise. So each journal entry is filled with words and images that might inspire you. Whether it is just the front cover or the entire journal, this is sure a creative twist on creating a vision!

There you have it! These are my tried and true methods for creating a compelling vision. I hope you will take some time out for you this month to create a vision of your own. And, if you are part of my First + Foremost community (if you’re not, what are you waiting for, boo!?) I encourage you to send me a pic of yours! I would love to see what you have created and plan to manifest!

Reflecting on 2018 and Manifesting in 2019. Join me?

Around this time every year, I love to take a moment to do a reflection exercise that gets me into a manifestation mindset for the new year.

It creates energy.
It promotes motivation.
It warrants celebration.

Want to try it with me this year?

Join my First + Foremost community and receive monthly nudges on self-care and self-growth.

If listening is more your thing, I invite you to explore what's new on the podcast. In episode 33, I share out my personal ah-ha's as I completed the exercise this year. I realized some major lessons learned from this past year, and also some big ideas to consider as I move forward in life and in my business in 2019.

Before setting New Years Resolutions, I love to take some time to really think about what went well from the previous year and all I want to draw in and attract for the upcoming one. This is by far one of my all-time favorite coaching activities.

I hope you will join me in taking some time out just for you to reflect on where you're at and where you want to be.

You deserve that kind of intentional time for you my friend.

Want to feel your very best this season? Read this.

As I write you this note, it is snowing outside my window, and I couldn't love it more.

There is something so beautiful and serene about snow. Some people I know are not such big fans of the cold weather change. For me, I try to relish and celebrate it.
Another season unfolding. Another time shift. Another period for renewal.

Whether you are a fan of snow or not, my nudge to you is this:

How can you simply notice what is there?

How can you bring some love and celebration towards it?

How can you notice it for what it is- neither good nor bad?

Then let's apply this same idea to other areas of your life that you may feel a certain way about.

Maybe you are not looking forward to seeing a certain someone over the holidays.

Maybe you are feeling anxious about an event coming up.

Maybe you are worried about overeating during the holidays.

No matter what is it, my hope for you as we settle into this new season is to remember this very profound truth:

What we perceive and think leads to our emotional state.

Let that sink in for a moment.

Our thoughts effect how we show up in the moments of our lives.

If you think that "snow is awful" you are likely to going to start your day immediately in a negative state, feeling down and sad that it is snowing. When we have a thought like that, it leads to negative emotion, and negative emotion creates a negative reaction within us.

The good news is that you do not have to be stuck in this place. Noticing the fact that you are even having these thoughts is celebration #1! Most people are not aware they are thinking these thoughts in the first place (and my friend, I am no exception here, as there was a time in my life I was completely lost in my thoughts!).

When you catch yourself noticing the thought, and after you've celebrated that you have noticed it in your mind, take a moment, and ask yourself this:

How can I think differently about this thought to create a different emotional state for myself?

So, going back to our snow example, I might say to myself, "It's snowing. When I look at it, it's actually quite beautiful." Noticing something about snow I actually do like creates a different emotional state for me. I feel more at peace. I feel less effected and impacted by it's mere presence.

I know I gave you a small, minor example with snow. I chose snow because I hear so many people this time of year posting about how they hate this time of year. I get it. It's cold out, friends.

But at the same time, we must be careful with our thoughts. Our thoughts are the very baseline of how we go about feeling and reacting throughout our day.

So with the simple example of snow, I hope you can notice how even the most mundane thoughts can totally impact our emotional state! And of course, with bigger, more serious situations, our thoughts operate in the very same way.

We have a thought.
The thought creates a feeling.
The feeling creates a reaction.

And my friend, how you show up in this world is very much a direct result of whatever you were thinking in the first place.

So today, my nudge to you is to practice with snow.

And from there, start celebrating any other thoughts you have that you may notice. You deserve to feel your very best feels day in and day out.

I'm sending you giant love.

Top 10 Self-Care Things for Fall

It's fall and I am over here soaking up the chillier temps of my all-time favorite season (you too!?). There is just something about this time of year that calls for all things cozy and with that, I want to share with you 10 of my favorite ways to savor the season through self-care. 

1. Warm drinks.

   My favorite and current go-to while being pregnant is a decaf latte or a decaf pumpkin spice latte with one pump of syrup. Whether you are a coffee or tea drinker, this is the perfect time of year to enjoy a hot drink to warm you up!

2. Long, carefree morning walks.

   There is something about a casual stroll during this season that just doesn’t compare to other times of the year. The crisp cool air calls to be enjoyed with a long, casual walk.

3. Scenic drives.

   This is one of my favorite fall-time activities to admire the changing leaves. I love being mindful while out in nature and there is just so much beauty this time of year with the myriad of colorful leaves.

4. Pumpkins!

   Over the weekend we picked up a few pumpkins and decorated the inside of our house and our front porch with them. I love the little pops of orange throughout that remind me of the changing season.

5. Autumn scents.

   This one is big for me because I try to avoid synthetic fragrances, and yet I just LOVE fall smells! So what is a girl to do? Pine cones are one of my favorite ways to get that earthy, autumn smell naturally.

6. Sweaters.

   I love cozying up with a comfy sweater during this time of year. Currently, all of my hoodies and sweaters are nicely stretched out with my growing baby bump!

7. Mums.

   From pops of yellow to deep burgundy, mums have quickly become my favorite fall flower. They are easy to maintain, they smell lovely, and offer up the most perfect shades of autumn colors.

8. A chilling thriller to read.

   The book club that I am part of recently read the book, Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. This book really got me back into reading just for the joy of it.

9. Snuggles.

   From your furry friend to your partner to your little ones (if you have them!) fall time just begs for some good old skin to skin. :)

10. Coffee dates.

    I love seizing this time of year to meet up with my favorite gals for some 1:1 quality life chats. Spending time together with your closest people while enjoying a warm drink sometimes feels like the hug you didn’t know you needed.
    

So there you have it! While every time is a great time to dig into some quality self-care, I wanted to share with you today some of my current go-to things to help inspire your very own list of self-care things throughout the season. My nudge to you is to pick one or two items on my list (or your own!) that you can commit to doing this month. Take time out for you to really be present in whatever it is, and to label it as part of your self-care. I believe that one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is the intentional practice of caring for ourselves- of making it speakable (even if just in our minds) that we are worthy of our own care.