LiveLoveThinkGolden Meets YouTube!

Hello Lovelies! So, it has been a looooong time…I know. I am trife…but no more! I am back and with a twist! Come join me!

Angels On Earth

I was having a conversation with my best friend yesterday about how our lives has been tough lately. We were both speaking about how we are trying to keep the faith, but it has been difficult. I admitted that, at times, I felt I had lost my faith…that sometimes it was just really hard to see through all the crap in my life to believe that things really are going to get better. Still, we both desperately wanted to believe….

Today I called my mother to ask her if we had any stamps. “You won’t believe what happened!” she said. She began to tell me a story that rekindled my faith in people, in humanity, and in God. My mom works for a company that escorts people with physical and mental disabilities. She basically picks up and drops off people any where they need to go. Today, she was picking up a little old man and taking him to his dialysis appointment. He’s a regular and always holds long conversations with my mom.

On one trip, they traded stories about their lives. My mom told him about her kids (she is so proud), and the little old man told my mom about his life.  He regaled her with stories about his life and confided that his wife is terminally ill and when she dies, he wants to stop taking dialysis so that he can go with her. At this point in the story I started to cry.

On this day, however, when my  mom came to pick him up he asked that she come inside for a moment. “My wife has something for you” he said. The little old lady handed my mom an envelope. “Don’t open it until you are in the car alone”, she said.  “Ok, well I don’t know what it is, but thank you!”, said my mom. As she escorted the little old man into the car to take him to dialysis he told my mom, “you can go ahead and open it now…since its just you and me.” My mom complied and opened the envelope to find $2oo dollars in cash. She looked at him with questions in her eyes. “Do you remember when you told me about how when your kids were little,  you were living in an apartment with no heat in the dead of winter and you had to stuff bed sheets under the door to keep the heat, from a little space heater you had, in the room?” he asked.  She nodded. “Well this is just to kind of make up for that…I know things are tough for you right now but, as my wife always says, we  can’t take it (the money) with us.”

Yesterday I wasn’t sure. Today, I know more than ever that everything will be ok.

Today I am grateful for answered prayers. I needed a sign, and God sent his angels on earth.

Running Til I Finish…

One of my best friends in the world, who is incredibly talented, asked me to find the song “Run Til I Finish” by Smokie Norful for a production he is putting on. So, I did a little searching and sent it to him. Sometimes I think he is a little intuitive because this song was exactly what I needed to hear. “I knew you would like it”, he told me…and I did!

Today I am thankful for my friends who I think sometimes know me better than I know myself. I love you!

Starting With The WOman in the Mirror!!!

Yesterday, the world lost a legend. Michael Jackson was a musical genius! Many of us grew up with him! I was supposed to marry him! I’m deeply saddened by the news, but I am taking solace in the fact that his music lives on! So  much of MJ’s music was inspiring! One of my all time favorites is “Man In The Mirror”

Even at such a young age, Michael was insightful! This song embodies the old saying “Be the change you want to see in the world”! Which,  brings me to the meat and potatoes of this post.

I think a lot of people, especially 20 somethings like myself who are transitioning into “real life”, are getting stuck! By stuck, I mean that we are allowing ourselves to wait until the circumstances are perfect before we attempt to do anything! The problem with this is that the circumstances will NEVER be perfect! If people waited around all the time for the ideal situation, nobody would ever accomplish anything and nothing would ever get done!

The fact of the matter is, life is too short to be waiting on lofty goals of perfection to start living our lives! We have got to stop being so afraid of failure that we never try anything. If you are stuck, it is time for change! And who better to start with than yourself! Give yourself permission to fail! It is in our failures that we learn the most…and these life lessons eventually lead us to our success! Stop putting off applying for your dream job! Stop putting off telling that special person that you love them! You may not get another chance…tomorrow is not promised!

If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a…CHANGE! Woo, Woo NA NA NAH, NA NA NAH, NA NAH, NA NAH!

Today I’m thankful that even in this time of sadness and sorrow over this tragic loss, MJ’s message lives on!

Unwritten

Hey everyone! So today, as I was driving to work, I heard a song on the radio that I have not heard in a long time, and I was instantly reminded of the days that I would roll down the highway, with the windows down, bumping this song and singing at the top of my lungs! What can I say, Natasha Bedingfield’s Unwritten just made me feel good! Ahhh, good times! If you’ve never heard it (you must have been living under a rock, ), here it is! Note: This is actually the acoustic version which I am really digging, so many of you may not have actually heard this one!

Aside from the fact that Natasha has a gorgeous voice, I love this song because of the message it gives! In it, she encourages her listeners to live their lives to the fullest! Too often in life our days are just…ho hum! We get up, go to work, run errands, eat and sleep only to get up and do it all over again. One day blurs into the next and we find ourselves just existing, but not really living. Not really enjoying our lives!

Well I, for one, am tired of it! I am tired of living a hum drum life where everyday just melts into the next! I’m just TIRED! The message in this song is that we, and we alone, have the power to change the plot of our story. Do I believe that everything happens for a reason? Absolutely! But I also know that everyday we make choices, and those choices shape the person we  are and the person we will become. So why don’t we start making choices that will empower us! Choices that will fill the pages of our days with learning and excitement! I truly believe that everyday should and can be an adventure!

The face of a person living a monotonous life! (This will change!)

I think the first step in making this happen, though, is to become very clear on what we want our story (life) to look like. So, in an effort to flesh out my outline, I have decided to make a vision board.  For those of you who don’t know, a vision board is simply a collage of pictures and words that depicts what you want your life to look like! Christine Kane, author of one of my favorite blogs, has a great post on how to make a vision board…check it out! She tells you everything you need to know and even gives you great suggestions on supplies!

Once I’m done, I will post a picture of my vision board. In doing this, I am making myself accountable to my readers to start implimenting a plan to make my vision board become reality. A vision is nothing without action! If you are like me, I encourage you to make a vision board as well! Stop being the sidekick in your story and become the lead act! There is no risk! At the very least you will gain a little perspective on what you really want your life to look like!

Just think about it…wouldn’t it be great if everyday we woke up excited about the day ahead of us, knowing that this day won’t be like the last, but just as thrilling?! That is what I am ready for…won’t you come with me!

Today I am thankful for the awareness of a hum drum life and the motivation to do something about it!

P.S. I’m asking for a little participation in this post…In the comments please post a reply to the following: If you could choose anything (and you can!) what would be the title to the book of your life?

Dreaming BIG with Mischo Beauty!!!

Hello Beauties! Its that time again! I would like to introduce to you, Kitiya of Mischo Beauty! Kitiya is one of those ladies that I look to for inspiration! Not only is she gorgeous….but she is constantly working and striving to achieve her goals! She dreams BIG and inspires me to dream BIG as well! Kitiya is a licensed cosmetologist, esthetician and makeup artist. She aspires to have her own salon/spa and mobile beauty services complete with her own hair and skin products. She will also be launching the Mischo Agency which is a representation of hairstylists, make-up artists, fashion stylists, and skin/nail care specialists. And let me tell you honey, if you are looking for the latest in hair, skin, nails and makeup, Mischo Beauty is the place to be!

Gorgeousness In Living Color!!!

• Looking for long, lustrous hair? Mischo Beauty introduces the latest in haircare…serums, oils, creams, butters, appliances…you name it!
• Need something to cleanse, clarify, and catapult your skincare routine into the next hemisphere? Mischo Beauty offers the best advice on skincare products!
• Want that manicure to pop? Check out Mischo Beauty for tips on the longest, strongest, prettiest nails ever!
• AND if you need info on the best makeup to BEAT your face with…you already know where to go!
• Oh, and for the latest in fashion and style, check out Mischo Style!

Also, be on the lookout for  The Mischo Book of Beauty….can’t WAIT for that! Yes, Kitiya is doing it up right and we could all take a lesson from her in dreaming BIG!

Today I am thankful for the inspiration to Dream BIG! Do you have a dream? Go ahead… take that leap and the net will appear!

Colds & Shingles & Thumbs…Oh My!!!

Tonight my best friend called me to regale me with a tale that had her wigging out! She had gone to get her nails done at  the same salon that she has gone to for the past 2 years. On this day, however, she realized that the salon had all new employees. She decided to get her nails done anyway and sat down to enjoy a relaxing manicure. Relaxing until she looked down and noticed that her nail technician had an extra thumb! Yes, that is right…4 fingers and 2 thumbs…on 1 hand! She FREAKED! Not out loud, mind you, but oh if you could have heard what was going on in her head! Now my best friend felt bad about the reaction she had in her head because she is a smart, compassionate, loving, wonderful person who knows that people come in all different (and beautiful) colors, shapes, and sizes. She was embarrassed, but I assured her that she was not a horrible person…it just caught her off guard…it happens. The thing is, I think that her reaction stemmed from something much more pressing…STRESS!

You see, for the past few weeks, my best friend has been telling me about some issues that she has been dealing with. She’s been really tired and lethargic. She’s been fighting a cold that won’t go away and feeling down and depressed and she’s developed a nervous scratching habit. Her skin is not irritated…she’s just scratching….for no apparent reason.  So, when she saw the extra thumb it was just too much for her…she flipped! All of these, including the nervous tic, are signs of stress. Now we all know that a little stress is good for you. In small doses, stress can help you perform better under pressure and give you the motivation to do your best. However, the majority of us take stress to an extreme…and this kind of chronic stress is not only unhealthy for you…it can kill.

Now I, unfortunately, am no stranger to stress. A little story about me: a few years ago, I was a flight attendant working for a pretty well known airline and I was on reserve (meaning I was on call and, therefore, could not make plans and had no life). One night, as I was preparing for my 3 whole hours of sleep in a crusty hotel room, on what was my third night of a five day trip, I noticed that I had a little bump on the middle of my back right underneath my bra strap. Thinking nothing of it, I climbed into bed (trying desperately not to think of those Dateline specials where they use black lights to discover a whole lot of nastiness) and went to sleep. The next morning, as I was showering, I noticed that the bump was itching a little and that it had actually gotten a little bigger. Upon closer inspection, I found that it wasn’t just one bump, but a little cluster of bumps! By the end of the trip, the cluster had spread to the size of a quarter and I knew that I needed to go see a doctor. I was terrified! I just knew that I had caught some crazy disease someone had left on those nasty hotel bedsheets (drama queen)! It turns out that I had shingles. Now, shingles is basically the adult form of chickenpox. The virus that causes chickenpox lies dormant in your system and, in most people, remains dormant. However, in some people, the virus can become active again in people who have weakened immune systems due to stress, injury, certain medicines etc.  I was confused! First, I had no idea what shingles was or how I caught it. But when my doctor told me that I hadn’t caught it, but rather developed it because of stress, I was floored! “But, I’m not stressed!”, I told her. Her response,  “You may not think or feel as if you are stressed, but your body is stressed!”

WAKE UP CALL! I had no idea that I could be stressed out and not even know it! I mean there was nothing weighing particularly heavy on my mind, no crisis needed attending to…I felt fine! Then it hit me! You know the stress has gotten to a critical level when you are so accustomed to the feeling of stress that it feels normal to you. When you don’t actually remember what it feels like to not be stressed, things have got to change! So what do you do?

Well, the first thing you have to do is recognize if you are, in fact, stressed. Here are some of the warning signs and symptoms of stress:

• Memory problems
• Constant worrying
• Moodiness
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Depression
• Aches and pains
• Nausea
• Frequent Colds
• Eating more or less
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing, (scratching lol))

These are just a few of many symptoms, but if you exhibit any of these you have got to nip it in the bud before the stress causes major problems such as heart disease, obesity, digestive ailments, autoimmune diseases, sleep problems, and skin conditions such as eczema. By now your probably thinking, “Ok, I get it! I’m stressed! So what do I do about it?”

Well, lucky for you, there are many things that we can do on a daily basis to help alleviate stress! One of the best things we can do is to eat a healthy diet. Getting the proper nutrition can definitely help in dealing with everyday stress. For some good ideas and tips on healthy eating check out this site. Also, you need to exercise! Exercising releases endorphins (feel good hormones) in the body. So, if you are having a particularly rough day, hit the gym…take a walk outside…get your significant other to join you in some extracurricular activities (tee hee ;-P). Bottom line, get MOVING! Finally, learn how to not take yourself so seriously! Life is what you make it! It should be fun! Learn how to laugh at yourself and, I guarantee, you will feel that stress melting away in no time!

Today I am thankful for the extra thumb that was responsible for the wigging out that inspired this post! Now everybody relax, relate, release!

Ok Beauties, Lets Get Logical!!!

Hola Bellas! Como estas? Bien?! Great, so I have been perusing the beauty blogs for quite some time. Most give great little tid bits here and there, but a select few are my go to blogs for all things beauty! One of my absolute favorites is Dominican Enigma’s BeautyLogic! DE (what we BeautyLogic Beauties call her) is possibly the most gorgeous woman I have her seen! Seriously, if it weren’t for the fact that she is just as beautiful inside as she is out, I might be tempted to pick up my haterade drinking habit again ;-P.

So the first time I stumbled upon BeautyLogic, I spent hours reading and digesting all of her posts! DE has an uncanny knack for suggesting exactly what I need at the time! Its almost scary! As soon as I finished I ran out and bought 3 products that she had suggested and I was not disappointed! I love and am grateful for the fact that DE suggests products that are not only of great quality, but also affordable. In fact, she has started a new post series called “Recession Replacement Thursdays“, in which she spotlights suggestions from her faithful readers on how they are replacing some of their high-end beauty items with more affordable options that give comparable results. Loving this! But, because DE is the professional that she is…she also indulges our luxe side with reviews on more expensive products that she feels warrant a shout out…and often times she does giveaways for these higher end products so that her readers can try out these products for themselves! I was actually the lucky winner of one of these giveaways and, once again, I was not disappointed!

Anyone who has read BeautyLogic knows that DE is all about the hair! With her long, flowing, shiny, thick, jet black, gorgeous hair, I have dubbed DE the “Hair Queen”. So when, the Hair Queen speaks, you listen! Now, I have been frustrated for years with the fact that my hair would not grow! I mean its as if my hair gets to a certain length and says, “NO, I cannot…I will not go on!” Then one day, as if it were meant to be, I came across this post from DE that has literally changed my hair! Suddenly, my defiant hair that would put on the breaks after reaching a certain length, is GROWING! I could not be more excited! And, DE was kind enough to let us in on a little bit of her hair routine…

The thing I love most about DE and her BeautyLogic Blog, though, is her spirit! DE not only wants you to be beautiful outside, but inside as well! She believes in empowering women, and encourages us to never stop learning and to never give up on our dreams! DE is an aspiring reporter and I have no doubt that she will accomplish her goals! Check her out in action! Look out for this bella on a television near you!

Today I am grateful for the inspiration to follow my dreams and the helpful hints to look fab while doing it!

Close Your Eyes and Envision Beauty!!!

Hello ALL! I am super excited to kick off my “Favorite Health and Beauty Blog” series with none other than Kimberly Snyder’s Envision Beauty Blog! Kimberly Snyder is an entrepreneur, raw foodist, yoga instructor, world traveler, charity promoter, free thinker, do gooder, super woman, and your all around rockstar! Ok ok, I’ll admit, I have a bit of girl crush, but seriously this lady is worth the admiration!

I was first introduced to Kimberly through Dominican Enigma of BeautyLogic (more on her in a later post). DE had done a youtube video interview that left me chomping at the bit to check out Kimberly’s site…and I was not disappointed. I spent the next three days reading every post Kimberly had written and I was inspired! I have been looking for a way to get my weight under control for years. Not only do I want to look better, but I want to feel better! I want to have the energy to go and pursue my dreams! After, reading I closed my eyes and envisioned beauty! I envisioned myself at my perfect weight, and accomplishing all of my goals with energy to spare. Suddenly, I was introduced to a way of eating that did not seem like a gimmick. No counting calories, no points, no high protein/low carb or morning banana fad diets…just natural, whole, raw foods. Kimberly took the guess work out of eating healthy and made it simple.

Now, I won’t lie and say that I am now a 100% raw foodist. Heck, I’m not even a vegetarian, but I have been incorporating a lot of raw healthy vegetables, fruits, seeds and nuts into my diet and I have never felt better! And that is what is so great about Kimberly’s blog. There is no agenda pushing…just sound advice on how to eat and live a healthier life! There are tons of delicious looking recipes to get you started…her Ultimate Green Smoothie being one of my favorites! Kimberly has also developed her very own skin care product called The Solution, which is fabulous (be on the look out for a youtube review of The Solution very soon)! It is her flagship product which is a host of skin care products in one! AND, 10% of the proceeds from The Solution goes to Project Concern International (PCI) which organizes clean water initiatives, micro enterprise, agricultural education, and life-saving medical relief in Africa, the Americas, and in Asia.

In addition, Kimberly is working on a skin brightening cleanser to be released later on this year and her very own Yoga Video, which was shot on location in Bora Bora (also being released later on this year)!

Yes, Ms. Snyder is living her life like its GOLDEN and I have mad respect for her! If you have not done so already, go to her blog and be enlightened!

Today I am thankful for sound advice and robust inspiration!

Giving Up The Haterade!!!

Ok ladies, I know I said my next few posts would be about my favorite health blogs, but I feel compelled to speak on something else that has been holding me back and is bad for my health (huh, I guess this post is sorta health related! . Yes ladies, I am guilty of drinking the Haterade! For my readers who may not have heard of this term, please click here for a definition. The rest of you know what I’m talking about! Can I get an AMEN?!

So it seems that when things are not going so well, I indulge in a big, heaping glass of Haterade. Ladies please tell me I’m not alone in this. You know what I’m talking about right?! You know that girl that, upon sight of her, actually insights a physical response in you?! You see her and all of her “perfectness” and your upper lip starts to curl up in an expression that can only be described as the “I’m so freakin’ jealous of you I could spit” look?! C’mon, don’t lie…don’t leave me out here on this limb by myself!

This is no new phenomenon. Women have been doing it forever. It sucks, cause when that green eyed monster that lives in the depths of my psyche pops out and rears it’s ugly head, I find myself wallowing in a sea of negativity and comparisons! And if your comparing yourself to someone else, you will never win! TRUST ME!!! You’ll start comparing everything! She has hair like yours, only longer and less frizzy. She has skin that is clear and as smooth as butter. You both have a great education, only she now has a fabulous career that she loves and is making a truck load of money! And, she has the perfect body! Not a dimple in sight….meanwhile your butt looks like a golf ball! I know what your thinking…there has to be some consolation right? She must have a horrible personality and be dreadfully boring…right?! So you wait for it…and then she opens her mouth and she is nothing less than delightful! She is sweet as apple pie and everybody LOVES HER! Yep, there goes that lip again!

You see what I mean ladies? This is not healthy!!!! If there is one thing that I have realized its that no matter how great you are…there is always someone out there that does it better than you! This is not to discourage you, but to let you know that you don’t have to be perfect! We have been beautifully and wonderfully made….Each and every one of us! We have all been given unique and wonderful gifts that make us the outstanding women that we are! It is time that we stopped coveting the lives of others and start being thankful for the blessings that we have been given! Besides, “Covet” is the name of my eyeliner and that is the only green that looks good on me!

Today I am thankful for the realization that what God has for me is for ME…and nobody can take that away! Ladies, love yourselves!!!