The last week of 2019 was all about just the four of us as a family. We had a lot of downtime instead of the typical busyness of the holidays, and that was a welcomed change. We spent time outdoors enjoying the 60-degree weather in Chicago before the actual winter weather hit and it gave us some hope despite some major letdowns lately that really had us feeling down. I've had some time to think ... Read more
Takeaways From “Lucky B*: A Guide for Exceptional Women to Create Outrageous Success”
My latest audiobook listen was "Lucky Bitch: A Guide for Exceptional Women to Create Outrageous Success" by Denise Duffield-Thomas. If you follow my blog you will know I also recently finished "Get Rich, Lucky Bitch" and "Chillpreneur." I have enjoyed her narration and enthusiasm, which prompted me to buy another of her audiobooks. This one focuses on how she manifested a dream trip around the ... Read more
What I Learned From “Becoming” by Michelle Obama
I've been listening to "Becoming" by Michelle Obama on Audible for a couple of months now. The audiobook is 19 hours long, and I would listen whenever I could — at the gym, in the car, while cleaning. I mentioned in a recent post that I found it to be motivating. Regardless of politics, it's inspiring to see a woman from the South Side of Chicago becoming an accomplished career woman, mother and ... Read more
My 2019 Goals and Guiding Word
It took weeks for me to figure out my 2019 goals. I had to really think about what it is I hope to accomplish. The person I wanted to be a year ago is not the same as the person I aim to become now. Some priorities have shifted, and some goals I previously saw as unattainable are now aspirations I think I can make happen if I commit to them. 2018 has been wonderful for us. We bought a house and ... Read more
Why the Holidays Are a Perfect Time for Decluttering
I recently decluttered yet again, but this time I did it differently. In previous declutters I would take everything out and sort through items one by one, KonMari style. I don't have that kind of time to devote to decluttering in my current phase of life, so this time I tackled my simplifying in a different way: I decluttered as I went. What this means is that when I would open a drawer to grab ... Read more
How to Find Motivation and Inspiration When You’re in a Rut
Lately I have been feeling off. I happens every year when Chicago's winter hits (unofficially). The darkness at 4:30 p.m., the constant cloudiness, the frequent snow/ice/rain combine to kill my motivation and make me want to hibernate. I don't have the luxury of sitting around and doing nothing, though, so I needed to find my inspiration again. I needed to pull myself out of this rut. I've ... Read more
Why You Should Do Things Alone
** This post contains affiliate links. I am compensated for purchases made through this link at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting Floradise! Whether it's because I could not find anyone available to go with me or because I wanted to go alone, I have done many things by myself throughout the years. One example was this week when I attended Michelle Obama's Becoming book tour ... Read more
2018 Word of the Year, Plus Simplifying To-Do List
For the past few years I have chosen a word to guide the following 12 months. Each year I have watched that word change my life, sometimes in ways I didn't expect. When I saw the following word last week, it spoke to me. I knew this would be my chosen word for 2018, as well as an intention: Believe. Believe is my 2018 word of the year. I believe in myself and that I can make my goals a ... Read more
Favorite Self-Help Reads
** This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Floradise. Are you into self-help books as much as I am? If so, you might enjoy these five reads (or rather Audible listens in my case) I recently finished. While I don't consider any of these to be perfect, I took away valuable lessons and inspiration, and that's exactly what I am looking for in a self-improvement ... Read more