Making time for yourself

As a woman, we tend to support and care for the world. It comes as no surprise, most women are mothers, enterpernuers, dedicated workers and sometimes all of the above. Like myself, a full weeks schedule seems like I have things under control and mapped down to a science until other spontanious things pop up. Then the overwhelming feeling starts to rise and becoming emotional drained is bound to happen. I have found that for peace of mind the balance comes from scheduling time for yourself.

If nothing more to clear your mind and just to maintain sanity. lol One of my girlfriends told me she doesnt know what she likes to do and was having a hard time finding something to do when she set time aside for herself. Well, if any other women struggle with the same issues here is an execise by Jan Hornford on Prioritizing your time. Write down your anwsers to the questions and begin to take action towards a more balanced journey.
 
Jan Hornford is a Life Coach & Retreat Leader whose passion is to help individuals re-connect with their own wisdom and power and to support them to create the life they want.

How could it be a gift to others to take time for yourself?
What would it take to make time for yourself a priority?
What activities bring you joy or nurture you?
What is keeping you from doing the things that energize and inspire you?
How can you bring more of these simple treats into your day?
 

Take Action Commit to doing one activity from the list you created each day for the next week.

Each day take 5 minutes for yourself. Find a quiet place where you can sit and not be disturbed. Close your eyes and simply follow the path of your breath. Just focus on your breath. If other thoughts come in, just let them go. If you find this difficult at first, then focus on repeating the affirmation "I am happy and peaceful". Quieting your mind and body and focusing on the breath will help to change your emotional state and provide your soul with a peaceful respite from the busyness of your day.

Time for yourself does not have to take half a day or come at someone else's expense. In fact, taking the time to replenish and nurture yourself will give you more energy and you will be better able to support those you love. It is often the simple things that can make the biggest difference. For example, sitting in your favorite chair and sipping a cup of tea, going for a walk, or listening to your favorite music.

I encourage you to carve out 15 minutes for yourself each day to do something that nurtures you and brings you joy. Try it as an experiment for one week and see what changes for you. Reclaim your Self! When you do, you will experience a sense of peace, renewal, and connection.

Sista Soul

Winter Beauty Tips

Fall & Winter Beauty Tips

When the temperature changes, so should your beauty routine. Your hair and skin react differently to cooler climates, so you need to redefine your regimen to get the results you want to see.
If you want to adapt when the weather gets colder, take note of these Fall and Winter beauty tips to keep your skin and hair looking beautiful.

Winter Skin Care

Cold weather means indoor heating which will have an adverse affect on your skin. To combat the drying affects, switch to a heavier moisturizing cream to add much-needed hydration. Lock in moisture by doing this while your face is still wet.

Avoid baths and showers that are too hot, and cool the water before you get out. Your skin will retain more moisture this way and you won't go through the temperature shock so much when you get out. Rub in body lotion on your arms and legs and feet, particularly on your elbows and knees.
Use eye cream at night to combat dryness. If you do this on a regular basis, you'll probably notice a reduction of fine lines and wrinkles. Get your beauty sleep to lower stress and put your best face forward.

Tips for staying warm in your home

Let’s stay warm this winter:

1. Tape over leaky cracks along the edges of windows. (I use clear packaging tape.) Check to make sure it won’t hurt the paint, but I haven’t found it to be a problem.

2. Roll up a blanket or towel and place it under doors or windows to block drafts.

3. Put on a sweater.

4. Insulate the windows by hanging a clear vinyl shower curtain behind the drapes. We did this in one room with three exposed walls, and it really helped to stabilize the temperature.

5. Bake something.

6. Close air vents to unused spaces.

7. If you have a fireplace, make sure the damper is closed. (Speaking from experience here.)

8. Keep closet and cabinet doors closed (except for cabinets with pipes during a freeze warning).

9. Buy a programmable thermostat — you can take it with you when you move.

10. A humidifier causes the air to feel warmer.

11. Cuddle up under quilts.

12. Use a space heater, carefully.

13. Put an electric blanket on your bed.

14. Drink something hot.

15. Switch the ceiling fans to turn in reverse.

16. Cozy up with a hot water bottle.

17. Apply weather stripping to doors or windows (easy and cheap).

18. Soak in a hot bath.

19. Wear wooly socks.

20. What is your best tip to stay warm?

http://smallnotebook.org/2008/11/17/20-tips-to-stay-warm-in-your-apartment/

Holiday Shopping Tips

With Black Friday within reach and Christmas right around the corner, many people are starting to think about holiday shopping. Whether or not you plan to brave the storm this Friday, here are some tips to help you come out on top this holiday shopping season.

1. Create a holiday shopping budget.
Hopefully, you have been saving up for the holidays. If not, don't worry, just do your best this year and plan to do better the next. Whether or not you have money earmarked for gifts, you should create a holiday shopping budget. Make a list of people that you want to present with a gift and write down the gift ideas along with the amount you want to spend for each person. Be realistic with what you can afford! Now tally everything up and you’ll have your total cost. If the total is too high, either scale back on all the gifts, or make the tough decision of giving to fewer people this year. Whatever you do, create a realistic budget that you won't regret after the holiday season is over.

2. Scout out your gifts.
If you can afford to, buying locally is a great way to put money back into your community. However, you might not be able to find what you want locally, or the price might be so high that you want to make your purchase elsewhere. Whether you are planning to buy locally or online, you should first check out online coupon sites to see if you can find coupon codes and discount promotions for your purchases.
These sites sometimes offer discounts that stores do not advertise and have deals that could save you significant amounts of money.

3. Comparison shop.
Don't take the first "good deal" that you stumble across. Suppress your impulse to grab the deal right away and check out a few other sites or stores to see if you can find an even better deal elsewhere. Be sure to also check out items similar to the one that you intended to buy. Occasionally, you will find significantly better deal without sacrificing too much on features and functionality — this is especially true for computers and electronics purchases.

4. Buy with a Credit Card
Credit card use is not right for everyone, so if it is not for you, don't use it! If you can handle credit cards without much trouble, use them. Credit card companies usually provide additional warranty on your purchases and offer you a level of protection against damaged and/or defective products. Moreover, you can get cash reward on your purchases. For instance, Discover Card is currently offering a great promotion. It includes: 5 percent cash-back bonus in department stores and clothing stores, and a double cash-back bonus on up to $1,000 in online purchases through the end of the year. That is an excellent way to save a little more money on top of everything else.

5. Understand the price protection policy.
Be sure to ask about the price protection policy that each store offers. Some stores do not offer this protection, buy a few do. The protection period varies from store to store, but it is typically between 15 to 30 days. With price protection, you can demand a refund of the difference if the store reduces the price on the item you purchase inside the protected period.
For the power shoppers, you may even want to wait on your purchases so that the price protection period ends a few days after Christmas. This way, if the store offers an "After Christmas Sale" you can try to get some money back.
Good luck with your holiday shopping!

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/my-money/2010/11/24/5-holiday-shopping-tips-that-will-save-you-money