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Floradise

A lifestyle blog by Marette Flora

Lessons From “You Are A Badass Every Day” to Carry Into 2019

I had no idea Jen Sincero, who wrote the original “You Are a Badass” as well as  “You Are a Badass at Making Money,” was coming out with another book. I was so excited to see this in Audible’s bookstore, and I bought it immediately. “You Are a Badass: How to Keep Your Motivation Strong, Your Vibe High, and Your Quest for Transformation Unstoppable” is a short read (with a long title) full of affirmations and reminders that you can listen to all at once or break up daily for a boost. It’s meant to be a supplement to your “spiritual journey” and her other books. I chose to finish it all at once, but I bookmarked lessons to revisit every once in a while. 

Lessons to take into 2019, courtesy of Jen Sincero:

  • “The excellent thing about success is that it always comes down to one simple thing: the decision to keep going until you reach your goal.” “Success requires commitment.” If you are working toward a goal and want to give up, remember this.
  • Be careful of who or what you surround yourself with and how you spend your time. Pay attention to your thoughts when you are with certain people or when you watch or do certain things. Surround yourself with people and things that inspire you.
  • When you’re feeling lazy or busy, remember “all the tiny bits matter in a very large way.” 
  • “Act like your future successful self.” Think of your current situation as a stepping stone to future success or goal.
  • Think about how far you have come when you get discouraged. Remember how what you have now might have once seemed impossible to attain, but it’s now your new normal. I think about this when I remember when I couldn’t run at all, or when I had thousands in credit card debt. Now I can run marathons if I train, and I have no credit card debt weighing me down.
  • “When you succomb to fear, you are under the illusion that you can predict the future.”

The entire book is only one hour and 38 minutes long. It’s a quick listen (or read) but one that is worth it if you’re lacking inspiration or you are into self-development books. The timing for reading this is perfect as we head into the new year. 

Have you read Jen Sincero’s books? What did you think?

Buy the “You Are A Badass” books**

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Ways to Beat the Sunday Scaries

Raise your hand if you suffer from the Sunday Scaries. Are you waving your hand as you read this? Lately the Sunday Scaries have hit me hard, probably because all I want to do is hang out and relax with my family over the holiday season instead of working during one of the busiest times of the year at my editing job. I’ve been thinking about ways to beat those worries on the weekend and I’ve come up some ideas to help myself and others reset and recharge for the new week. Let’s go into Monday with motivation and excitement rather than dread, shall we?

Ways to beat the Sunday Scaries:

  • Change your perception. You are never really done with your to-do list, so why worry excessively about it? There will always be more work to do. But you can’t get back time you’ve spent worrying or ignoring your basic needs. Worry about tomorrow robs today of its joy.
  • Spend part of the day or the whole day with nothing planned. Give yourself a break, if you can. I try to limit myself to only one set of plans per weekend. Doing something each day of the weekend only makes me feel more exhausted come Sunday night vs. well rested.
  • Do something that brings you joy. Ideas: Painting, yoga, running, walking around a garden, watching a movie, etc.
  • Make fun plans for Monday. Examples: Set up dinner or happy hour plans with a friend or treat yourself to your favorite dessert. Make time to do something you love on Monday after work to give yourself something to look forward to.
  • Laugh. Watch a funny movie or TV show.
  • Use a journal or planner to jot down a “brain dump” of thoughts, goals and to-dos for the week. Do this on a weekend so that you go into the week with a plan and it doesn’t seem so intimidating. I create a to-do list, but I limit what I designate for each day. I never want to overwhelm myself. I try to stick to just one errand per day, if possible. For blogging, for example, I will schedule time to start a blog post, and then finish that post on another day. I try to take photos for posts all at once so I’m not trying to squeeze in shooting and editing in one day.
  • Perform a self-care task like getting a massage, repainting your nails, taking a long bath, etc. Also make sure you are drinking enough water and eating well.
  • Stay off social media. Stop comparing what you are doing with what you are seeing on your Instagram feed.
  • Spend time with people you love and who will uplift you.
  • Make time for church, meditation or self-reflection.
  • If it’s job dissatisfaction that is causing your Sunday Scaries, make a plan to change your situation. Research education, other jobs, mentors or other ways to improve your career satisfaction.

Do you ever feel the Sunday Scaries? What do you do about them?

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How to Improve Your Confidence

A’s 8-Month Update

This has been a major month in terms of milestones for Addi. She has changed so much in a short time, and this phase has become my favorite so far. I love watching her do new things and learn every day.

Sleep: After waking 3-5 times a night every night since she turned 4 months old, we decided it was in our family’s best interest to attempt to teach her to fall asleep on her own. It’s been less than a week and she is already sleeping better and going down for naps more easily. We are attempting as gentle an approach as we can.

Feeding: She’s eating three meals a day now along with breastfeeding and drinking breast milk or formula from a bottle. We are mostly feeding her purees, but we are slowly introducing chunkier foods and letting her self-feed.

Stats: I am not sure what her weight is now. She is in 9 or 9-12 month clothes and wears Size 3 diapers.

Highlights:

She pulled herself up to stand in her crib, so we had to lower the mattress.

She started army crawling at first but is now fully crawling, though she is still a bit unsteady.

She still smiles and laughs constantly.

She loves to drink water from her sippy cup and can hold her own bottle.

She still protests when mom and dad walk away.

She places her hand on mine when I say high-five.

She loves to splash around during bath time and now sits on a nonslip mat vs. in a bather.

She wants to grab EVERYTHING.

She still doesn’t have teeth.

We also had her passport photo taken and submitted the passport applications for both the girls, and we are excited for future trips as a family.

That’s it for today’s update. I’ll share another as she gets a bit older and we have hit more milestones. Do you have a kiddo(s)? Share a fun update in the comments!

 

Shop her milestone blanket and onesie**:

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Related post:

Flying With a 2-Month-Old Baby
Adelina’s 4-Month Update

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Thoughtful Etsy Small Gift & Stocking Stuffer Ideas

** This post contains affiliate links. I am compensated for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting Floradise!

I know by now many people have an idea of what to buy their loved ones for Christmas/the holidays, but I wanted to share a quick post on four stocking stuffer ideas found on Etsy. I am a huge fan of the site for personalized gifts as well as other handmade items. I shop Etsy frequently for thoughtful and personalized presents for my friends and family.

Four Etsy Gift Ideas:

  • Personalized ornament: I bought one for Addi’s first Christmas, but you can personalize this to fit your needs, such as for bridesmaid gifts. The handwriting is available in two styles and looks beautiful. I went with the modern version.

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  • Dog ornament: Any dog lover would be overjoyed to receive this.  I plan to order one as a gift this year.

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  • Gemstone necklace: I love wearing gemstone or crystal jewelry. It’s so pretty and makes such a good gift.

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  • Small succulent planter: Can’t Keep My Plants to Myself is just one of the available saying on the 4-inch handmade ceramic planters. It would be a fun idea to order one or two of these and grab some succulents.

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Where do you like to shop for small gifts or stocking stuffers? Have you ever shopped Etsy?

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Etsy Wedding Purchases

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 something I needed, I also quickly glanced around to see if there was anything in there that could go. Anytime I opened a closet, drawer, basket, etc., I would assess the contents and decide if I wanted to part with anything. This helped me accumulate several large bags of items to donate or recycle/repurpose in just over a month.

Examples of my current decluttering method:

When I reached for tops or bottoms for the baby and found anything that no longer fit, I tossed it in the bag.

When a toy broke or I noticed it wasn’t played with, I asked V if she still wanted it. I also asked her to let me know if there were toys she no longer was interested in because she would likely be getting some gifts for Christmas. She was sweet enough to put together a small pile of toys that she said she wanted to go to kids who don’t have many toys.

When I put clothes or shoes on V and they were too tight, I put them in the donation pile.

As I unpacked boxes or organized in our new house, I noticed if there were items I had forgotten about that I could do without.

When I did my makeup, I assessed how often I wore certain lip colors and took note of when makeup was set to expire.

When I put socks on, I threw those without matching partners or those with holes into the textile recycling bag. (Our city offers recycling for shoes and clothing.)

When I took out the holiday decorations, I donated or tossed anything that was broken or too worn out.

This decluttering method isn’t groundbreaking, but it does work for those who claim to have no time to devote to empty an entire room and then sort through items. Keeping a bag or box in a certain location that you can easily add to takes little to no effort. Then simply drop it off at your favorite charity or have it picked up. The key is getting those donations out of the house as soon as possible, though. No driving around with them in the trunk of your car for months. Pencil it into your planner immediately.

I wanted to declutter before the holidays because Christmas is always a time when people tend to shop more and accumulate more belongings, whether you want them or not. I pick up decorations, buy wrapping supplies and have a bunch left over, and receive gifts, like many people do. The tendency for many is to make a new year’s resolution to simplify and declutter, but really starting before the holidays gives you a headstart.

 

Related posts:

Inspiration From “Year of Less”
Decluttering and a Family Tradition
Thoughts on “Joy of Less”

 

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 compiled ideas for how to re-motivate yourself when you, too, are feeling uninspired. I’ve been practicing many of these myself in hopes of getting my drive back. For the most part I’ve been quite successful and I hope it can help others as well.

How to pull yourself out of a rut and find inspiration:

  • Start your day off on a positive note. I have been meditating every morning, usually during my daily pumping session, with the help of the Headspace app. Incorporate meditation (or prayer or journaling) into your morning routine. Make it an essential step as you get ready for the day. If I miss this, I do it in the evening before bed to help with sleep.
  • Exercise. While I am not back into my 4-5 workouts a week like I used to be, I am committing to at least one workout class a week for now. Even starting slowly like I am can have a big impact on your mood.
  • Make sure you’re drinking enough water. Everything feels wrong with the world when you neglect such an essential staple from your daily consumption.
  • Incorporate self-care into your daily routine. Find one way that you can take care of yourself every day, whether it’s the morning meditation, repainting your nails, scheduling an appointment you need, or taking a long bath.
  • Attend an inspiring event, such as a book tour event, motivational speech or a charity event.
  • Listen to motivational podcast or audiobook (or read a book). I am always inspired by reading about others’ personal development journeys.
  • Treat yourself. I did this recently by buying postpartum clothes that make me feel more put together and confident.
  • Make yourself a higher priority. Stop putting yourself last.
  • Take note of your accomplishments. An example of this is making a list of things you have gotten done today or this week vs. only writing down things you need to do.
  • Make gratitude lists (daily or weekly). Remind yourself what you have to be inspired by.
  • Take a social media break or check out different channels that inspire rather than cause feelings of lack.
  • Declutter your home and simplify. Excess causes me anxiety, as do messes.
  • Volunteer for a cause you care about. I used to make this a monthly activity, and I admit I haven’t been doing it lately. It’s a goal for the upcoming months to volunteer.
  • Network with people in your field or interest. Their excitement and passion can rub off on you.
  • Redecorate a space in your home, whether it’s the holidays or just giving it a refresh.

I hope any of these ideas can help you find your inspiration again. Have you ever felt like you were in a rut?

Related post:

How to improve your confidence

 

What I Really Want for Christmas | My Wish List

** This post contains affiliate links. I am compensated for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you.

I realize that people seemingly only want gift guides nowadays, but today I want to be a little selfish and share my honest Christmas wish list. This comes from the perspective of a work-from-home mom of two who wants to get back into fitness like she used to be. It’s been an interesting year. Anyway there’s only one thing I want for Christmas, and that’s a night of uninterrupted sleep. Seriously.

That is what I really want. But if I can’t have that, I’d like:

  • A massage. This is always and forever on any wish list I create, from now on.
  • Yoga classes. I used to practice yoga frequently and even became a certified yoga teacher, but I have abandoned my regular practice in the past couple of years. I want to bring it back into my life.
  • A new yoga mat. I realized that I have used the same yoga mat for five years now and it needs to be replaced. I would ideally like an eco-friendly option.
  • A yoga towel. The yoga studio I’ve been practicing at offers hot yoga, which I had never tried until recently. I thus now need a yoga towel to avoid having to rent one.
  • Bath bombs. Nighttime baths have become a part of my self-care routine, and I love to be extra with bath bombs and candles.

What’s on your Christmas or holiday wish list? Anything you have your eye on?

Related posts:

Subscription, membership and experience gifts
Thoughtful gifts to buy on Etsy

Shop Yoga Gifts**:

 

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The Coziest Gift You’ll Ever Give

** This post is sponsored by Isotoner but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Hibernation season is upon us here in the Chicago area, and I’m all about being cozy and warm at all times as we approach the holidays. While I completely believe in getting dressed and ready for the day, I do like to keep my feet comfortable as I get my daily work done and care for my family. I want to share that same gift of comfort with my friends and family this holiday season, so I’m continuing one of my annual traditions: Giving away pairs of Isotoner slippers as gifts!

Fun fact: I have given at least one pair of Isotoner slippers to loved ones every single year. Why? I know firsthand how cozy and soft Isotoner slippers are to wear because I’ve owned several pairs over the years. Isotoner’s signature 360 Surround Comfort™ technology keeps your feet snug and warm while you prepare for the holidays  — and every day. Whether you’re prepping a holiday meal, wrapping gifts, playing with your kids or pets, or decorating, you can feel relaxed and comfortable as you move about, and that gift will last all year long. I plan to wear my slippers to keep my cozy for our annual family Cookie Day, gift wrapping and for breakfast on Christmas morning, among many other upcoming moments.

 

I wear them when having breakfast with and getting my preschooler ready for the day; while feeding, rocking and playing with my baby; while editing at my desk; and while doing other household tasks throughout the day. Slippers are a must for me because our home has hardwood floors that can be so uncomfortable to walk on barefoot or while wearing only socks, especially when winter hits. Plus, these Isotoner slippers fit like a glove!

 

I have both the Microsuede Marisol Closed Back Slippers and the Women’s Microsuede Basil Hoodback Slippers, which are both available in various colors.

 

If you’d like to grab a pair of Isotoner 360 Surround Comfort™ slippers for yourself or to gift a family member or friend, check out Isotoner!

Have you experienced the comfort of Isotoner slippers?

Postpartum Clothing Haul | Fall & Winter

** This post contains affiliate links. I am compensated for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you.

After decluttering most of my wardrobe during the nesting phase of pregnancy, I was not left with much to wear during the fall and winter at seven months postpartum. I wanted to buy some basics that I could wear for the colder season here in Chicago while I’m essentially in hibernation mode. I never go too crazy with shopping, and this haul is a lot for me to purchase at once, but I needed clothes to boost my self-esteem and help me feel more like a person and not a “mombie.”  I’m sharing some of my finds because many of them might be on sale for Black Friday, plus they were already affordable.

My fall/winter postpartum clothing haul:

  • Cozy pullover sweater: I bought this one in the Wine color, but it also comes in many other options. It’s super soft and comfortable. It’s not itchy at all!

  • Long-sleeve top with back cutout: I just wanted a soft, basic top that I can pair with any bottoms I have and/or a vest. I want to buy this in another color as well.
  • Faux fur sweater vest: This is the coziest sweater vest with pockets and a hood. It was affordable at about $22. I have been wearing it nonstop! (This color is sold out but it comes in gray and black, too.)

  • Black midrise skinny jeans. Black jeans are a staple in my wardrobe. These are a good length for me and they are comfortable enough to wear every day. (I bought them in short.) Note: I also purchased Universal Thread jeggings, but I’m not sure I recommend them, because they stretch too much throughout the day, or maybe I needed to size down.
  • Cozy open cardigan:  This is the softest cardigan, and I wear it frequently. I picked the light gray color, which goes with just about anything I have. (It’s on sale for a limited time for $20.)

  • Pajama set: I’ve been feeling so frumpy in my mismatched T-shirt and comfy pants to go to bed. Now I feel more put together and this set is soft and cute. (I prefer shorts to sleep in because I run hot.) My friend was also kind enough to gift me a second pajama set that comes with a nursing top. The pants are so lightweight and soft.
  • Scallop sleeve sweater: It’s flattering and soft, but I wish the sleeves were full length. I bought it in gray so it can match just about everything.

 

Shop my haul**:

Click the image to shop my picks.

 

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Shop Target Black Friday** (Nov. 23, 2018):

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!

Shop my vest, which is only $21.97, here!

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 kickoff in Chicago on a solo night out. I originally asked a friend to go with me, but I wasn’t able to find two tickets together and decided to just go for it when a single ticket popped up in my search results. I asked on my Instagram stories whether my friends would go to a big event or concert on their own as well, and I found that more than a third of respondents said they would not. I get it, but I want to share reasons why doing activities alone is good for you, in my opinion.

Activities I have done alone:

  • John Legend concert
  • Movies
  • Dabble.co classes
  • Baseball games
  • Races
  • Major public events, like the Arizona Centennial celebration
  • Traveled to a new city

Reasons to do things alone:

  • You’re not really alone. I was in a stadium of thousands of mostly women who clearly had common interests as me. Just because you don’t personally know them doesn’t mean there isn’t a great deal of love and respect in the room. I could feel it and see it in all the smiling faces.
  • You can make friends.
  • Growth happens when you’re uncomfortable.
  • You can avoid distractions. Oftentimes when we are with friends we are so wrapped up in conversation that we miss some of what is happening. When you are alone you observe things you might have missed.
  • You can spend time with your thoughts.
  • Attend on your own terms. Leave whenever you want. Eat wherever you want beforehand. You get to decide without compromise.

Do you enjoy doing things alone? Of course, spending time with friends and family doing activities you enjoy is also fun, but if you haven’t already, I encourage you to break out on your own once in a while. You might learn something new about yourself.

Shop my vest**:

 

Related post:

Free or low-cost self-care

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