Florence + The Machine - Only If For A Night
Pink-is-in! And in all shades too as we kick off the new year and begin tackling a new set of goals and plans in the long (or shorter) making. The color pink is synonymous with love... unconditional love, romantic love, and nurturing love (for others and especially the self). Taking a closer look at this epic color, pink embraces emotions of calm, appreciation, respect, keen insight, and admiration. In a nutshell, pink helps us resurface with greater strength! Thank you for stopping by today. I love having you here! Let's get the year rolling with Florence and The Machine's effervescent personality and lush voice! A song for our new year...
Happy New Year to You too!
What are you looking forward to in 2013? As 2012 started winding down, I took some time out to reflect on the year, in depth: the highs and the lows, with the intention of creating an improved, overall balance. One recurring thought was the immense joy I experience while connecting with laidback, everyday folks (children and adults), who delight and empower me to stay true to my simple self, while quietly honing new skills for all my todays and tomorrows. Making the time to embrace my light-hearted, playful spirit reminds me that it's always the little things that add that state of lushness to my daily world. This year is all about dabbling in those little constants which make for and help maintain a happy momentum, inside and out, and in praise of our innocent intelligence. Here are my 5 simple constants for 2013 to keep us in the glow of love...
1. Read something inspiring every day.
For those of us who already do, there's something spiritually evolving about getting cozy and burying ourselves into a lush book that engages and lifts us to a higher state of grace. My two ongoing favorites for this month are Women Are Worthy by Ettie Rutherford, a dynamic educator and transformational speaker who also authors the blog, Women Are Worthy. A book for ALL women of ALL ages... you'll be swept away by Ettie's life experiences, find yourself making connections, and inspired to "keep on soaring" whatever your story, wherever you are in the world. And being a teacher (like forever), I am so often caught having an enlightened laugh in a corner of my favorite bookstore here, or our neighborhood library, so this children's book, Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin... full of watercolor and creative life lessons made my day, while enjoying some downtime...
2. Keep on Dancing.
My friends and I share the same view when it comes to exercise-- we may not fancy 'the getting to the place' (a.k.a. the gym), but we always feel awesome afterwards, and so proud of ourselves too! As much as I love walking outdoors in tropical climates all year round, winter in Canada is a whole 'nother world, so I'm indoors doing my laps here and there, as the bundling up to step outdoors gets to me at times. Once I'm out, I'm good to go though. Then I had a momentus flashback... I - was - an - avid - bedroom-dancer - back - in - Miami (funny but true), as I alternated dancing with walking outdoors and riding my Tony Little gazelle... so started indulging in a few playful workouts and love it. Now I'm psyched to add some strength training to my new routine, targeting my crazy arms into better tone and form + improved strength! My choices are these pink (yes pink) 2 pounds (lbs) each, Valeo Neoprene Hand Weights ,and Florence's music is the perfect companion to lose yourself while celebrating your lusher self!
3. Plan to Eat Well!
It's so easy to grab express foods that are quick n' easy pick ups along our route, especially when so many of us put in longer and or later hours at work... and more lengthy commutes are just evil! With relocating and having to deal with so many last minute whims, unexpected errands and travels, I'm finally getting there with planning my grocery time and choosing the best foods that work well for my body, plus also give me an elevated energy boost. I've learned the importance of carving out quality, no rush cooking time, and have been perfecting my spicy chili dish shown above (no rice, no taco shells, no breads... the lean ground meat and red beans do it all), while uping my daily fruits and veggies. Add this exotic and spicy blend for an extra jazz, just before serving! More to come soon... (and yes I made that dish myself!)
4. Get the Sleep needed.
How many hours do you honestly need? I know I need a solid 8 - 9 hours to perform at my best (more if I am working past midnight), and without it, I am miserable, restless, and prone to grabbing the chocolate candies, cakes and sweeter condiments. And in my best interest, trying for less is knowingly setting myself up for an acute health setback. In addition to our best quantity, there's also best quality which usually occurs anywhere from 9 pm to 7 am. Evening and shift workers always have a trying time with sleep, sooner or later as it does take a toll on our bodies with going for the longer haul. This fabulous and savvy chock-full-of-facts article from Refinery29 , (lovely artwork illustrations from Ammiel Mendoza), has been a huge help as my hours are sometimes so scattered with getting project work completed, and or being unable to turn off my busy mind at bedtime. A healthy sleep routine is a must! You feel so much ready for LIFE!
5. Try something new.
With most new things, we feel an air of excitement and enthusiasm-- we're eager to try it, see if it's as good as the suggestion made, and even more importantly, does it pair well with our sometimes wavering taste and moods. My new currents for try something new (now that I'm cuddled up indoors for a bit longer) are these 3 fun finds above...(left to right): enjoy a lip perfect season- silky, smooth moisture with a touch of glimmer for our lips during the winter: Benefit's Ultra Plush Lip Gloss in Sugarbomb (a shimmering pinky nude)-- I love it! Warm up with this truly delish, and playful full-bodied red wine from Apothic. This great suggestion came from Peter Rockwell who claims to be a drinker with a writing problem (ha). Every Friday Peter recommends a new wine for readers in the weekend edition of Metro News Canada. His column Liquid Assets is a definite must read! And for our waterlovers (raising both hands here) ;), bubblebaths and looong showers are indeed mandatory... pamper yourself and release your inner wildchild with this luxurious Wild Angelica shower gel and bubblebath... pure bliss!~
And that's it... my 5 simple focuses for the year ahead! I'd love to hear yours and any tips for staying lushful throughout the year...
Whatever your loves and favorites dolls... make 2013 your own glory and your own year of being in-the- pink (rosey and successful)!
As usual, happy and safe travels wherever your road leads!
I am back next Monday, January 7th... see you all then! Cheers!
Love, ~ Suzette
(cover photo - "Sea Dreams" via Paula Bell + her amazing Pinterest boards- wow! ; music track: 'Only If For A Night' by Florence + The Machine courtesy of Amazon)
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