Tag Archives: positive

Want To Live A Healthy Life? Start Simple

Standard
Want To Live A Healthy Life? Start Simple

Have you decided that now is a good time to start living a healthier life? Good for you! At some point, most people make a choice like this about their life, but few end up sticking to it as it isn’t a particularly easy thing to do. In this article, we’re going to be looking at some of the things that you can do to live a healthy life that are super simple. The goal here is that when you start out simple, you are more likely to stick with the new life that you have chosen. Keep reading if you would like to find out more:

Exercise where you can:

The first thing that we’re going to suggest is that you exercise where you can. There’s a number of different types of exercise, so don’t think that this means you have to go to the gym. Not everyone is a fan of working out in front of others, and not everyone is a fan of working out with gym equipment. Don’t forget that swimming is an excellent form of exercise because it makes you use all the parts of your body. Walking is also good if you want to start small. Don’t feel pressured to start by doing those intense workouts that you see online. You might never get the urge to complete these and that’s absolutely fine because most of them are for very specific fitness goals. If you just want to stay healthy, then swimming or walking a couple of times per week is going to be just fine. Couple this with good eating habits and you’re good to go!

Learn about wellness:

The next thing that we’re going to mention is that you should learn as much about wellness as you can. You need to know what your body needs, how to cook the things that your body wants, and what else you can do to live the healthiest life possible. If you look at a site such as Kristen Blake Wellness, you will find a whole host of information on this topic. The better educated you are, the higher the chance is that you are going to stick with the decision that you have made. Keep in mind that it isn’t always going to be easy, even when you’re starting small, especially if you’re used to a particular lifestyle. But, that doesn’t mean that it won’t be worth it, because we promise that it will.

Sleep more often:

The final thing that we’re going to look at is how much you are sleeping. We know that a lot of people have trouble with sleep, but it’s vital to your body being in the best condition. You need to get around seven hours of sleep every single night if you want to be as healthy as possible. There are a number of things that you can try if you’re having issues sleeping, so just find some of them and give them a go!

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now have a better idea as to some of the ways that you can start living a healthy life. If you start simple, you’re going to have an easier time making the bigger changes when the time comes!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Sweet Surprises: Starbucks Drive Thru Edition

Standard
Sweet Surprises: Starbucks Drive Thru Edition

Hellooooo! Once Starbucks busts out their seasonal drinks during the holidays, I have to stop by at least once or twice (or ten times) to get a Peppermint Mocha. It is my absolute favorite drink from there that isn’t iced coffee and I can feel myself getting more into the holiday spirit with each sip of essentially caffeinated hot chocolate.

About five years ago, a Starbucks opened up right down the street from me and it was pretty much the best thing that ever happened in my neck of the woods. The convenience is, obviously, amazing. But, what I love most of all are the delightful employees that work there. I have made many friends via the neighborhood Starbucks and I think it’s safe to say that I just made a new one during my last stop at the drive thru. Check it out:

AE10CE71-CC25-44B4-96B7-D40841B8F1E6

When I was younger and to this day, I love running errands with my mom. One of the big things that I can remember in my youth is how my mom made an effort to talk to the employees that were helping us. Whether it be chatting about their day or offering a compliment, I could always tell that the workers felt happy after talking to my mom and that inspired me to follow in her footsteps. Why not make someone’s day with a few encouraging words? When I worked retail, I was so appreciative of the customers who would go out of their way to talk to me so I know first hand how good it feels to have someone be kind while I was on the clock.

The past few times I went to the Starbucks drive thru, the same guy took my order and he was so nice – not just to me but to all of the customers. When he asked about my day, I could tell he was genuinely interested and it was like a breath of fresh air. I couldn’t not say anything and I let him know that he has made my day every time I stop by and that I really appreciate it. When I received my drink at the window, I was informed that there was a little note on my cup:

5FF47ADA-54B9-4D61-9DCE-F6EA2C31B32A

How sweet is that?!

Whenever you want to say something nice to someone, just say it. You have no idea what that person could be going through and it might help turn their entire day around. I was in a great mood all day from just one kind gesture and I think my new friend had a better day for it, too. The world needs more positivity right now so spread it in any way you can. As you can see, even the smallest things are super effective! ❤

What was the last Random Act Of Kindness you made? How do you like to make someone’s day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Productive & Rewarding Activities To Do As A Family

Standard
Productive & Rewarding Activities To Do As A Family

As a parent, you’ll want to do all you can to make your child’s (or children’s) quality of life the best it can be. This means you’ll have to put in work in various areas. Educating them is obviously high on the list of priorities. Keeping them healthy mentally, physically, and socially is also important, of course. You also must make sure that their minds are being stimulated every single day in a positive sense, too. Part of being a parent is helping your child to view life in an optimistic and positive light. There is very little point to life if we’re not enjoying every single day!

Your job is to raise them properly and ensure that they have every advantage going into their adulthood when they’re entirely responsible for their own life. No matter how old your kids are, they are never too old to do things together as a family. Here are some activities that you can do with your family that will be educational, productive, rewarding, and fun:

Family work outs and exercise:

Working out as a family is a great way of bonding as well as staying fit and healthy. It’s often tedious and grueling when you have to work out on your own – especially during the cold, dark, and gloomy days. Getting your gang to tag along with you can be so rewarding. Not only will you all enjoy it, but you’re teaching your entire family about the kinds of things they need to be doing in order to feel better mentally and physically. They could also pick up all kinds of sporting hobbies – which is, of course, an added bonus.

Extra curricular schooling:

Some kids may not like the idea of learning things when they’re away from school. Others, however, may find something they genuinely love and they may want to delve into it even further. The practice of learning from home has become a lot more popular due to the pandemic, but that doesn’t mean it has to stop once life gets back on track again. One thing’s for certain; you’ll have a much smarter child on your hands than if you don’t bother with it!

Work on the house:

Nobody’s expecting you to behave like professional remodeling companies, of course. Even though that would be AMAZING if you could replicate that stuff! Doing some DIY and conjuring up little projects would be fun a place to start. You’ll get productive tasks done while teaching the kids (and yourself) all kinds of new, useful skills.

Travel to new places regularly:

Doing the same kinds of things over and over again, even if you find them quite entertaining, will end up being boring. You won’t stimulate your brain anywhere near as much as perhaps you should. Visiting new areas of the world definitely would. Even new areas in your home country need exploring! You’ll learn so much and your confidence would grow a lot. Plus, there are plenty of awesome memories to be made when traveling with your family!

Enjoy quality time all together with the ideas above for an even stronger family unit in the future.

Featured Image By: Unsplash

The Best & Easiest Ways To Go Green In 2021

Standard
The Best & Easiest Ways To Go Green In 2021

The challenges faced in 2020 have given us all a new sense of perspective. As such, living a more eco-friendly lifestyle is likely to be one of the most common New Year’s Resolutions in 2021. Even if it’s not your main target for the year, you will probably want to implement change. The first step to success is to build a winning strategy.

Going green should be convenient and deliver noticeable benefits. Otherwise, you will struggle to find the motivation needed to maintain the improvements. Focus on the following ideas, and you can’t go wrong:

Become a green homeowner:

Given that you will spend more time at home than any other location, it makes sense to start the process here. Renewal by Andersen window replacement services can combat the threat of wasted heat energy. When added to the fact that this will boost the property value, you cannot ignore the benefits.

Further improvements can be made by adding efficient appliances to reduce water waste as well as learning to switch items off. Adding Smart tech to control various aspects of the property will allow you to stay on top of the situation in the immediate and long-term future. Better still, the positive moves should boost your financial health in the long run. Perfect.

Become a green beautician:

Unlocking a better appearance is a goal shared by millions. While plenty of lifestyle changes can be implemented to boost your look, we all need a little help to achieve the best results. My guide to eco-friendly beauty will put you on the path to success. It’s great for your health, looks, and environment.

Eco-friendly products and habits will spark improvements on a daily basis. Meanwhile, your choice of salon or spa for professional care can take the rewards to another level. Alongside beauty, you should also consider fashion choices. Backing brands that manufacture goods in a sustainable way will give you an extra source of smiles. The indirect impact on your carbon footprint is huge.

greenn1

Pixabay Image

Become a green socialite:

In addition to personal upgrades, your desire to lead a greener lifestyle can actively influence your friends and family. It is undoubtedly the best way to maximize the impact of your efforts, as well as the sense of satisfaction. Transparent discussions with those people will create a stronger message.

However, the key is to lead by example. This is something you can think about when planning your next vacation. Meanwhile, simply creating less waste in daily leisure activities can work wonders. With a little creativity, you can repurpose old clothes into unique fashion pieces. Living an eco-friendly lifestyle needn’t cause an impact on your sense of style and general aura. In fact, it could make you look better than ever.

Green living and healthy living are very closely linked. Southern Living’s easy Crock Pot recipes offer a great starting point. The stats show that food waste is one of the worst sources of environmental damage. Cooking and freezing extra portions reduces the threats while also saving valuable time.

Nutrition is one aspect, but you must also consider physical exercise. Running and cycling are among the best cardio aspects while free weights are ideal. Sure, you may still use machinery from time to time, but the use of electricity is unnecessary energy consumption. Travel to the gym or fitness club could increase your carbon footprint. Healthy lifestyles are great, but conscious decisions bring even better rewards.

greenn2

Pixabay Image

Become a green driver:

We make hundreds of decisions that impact our output each day. But some are more significant than others. Driving is the biggest cause of emissions by most. Switching to electric vehicles or hybrid cars will quickly reduce the damage you cause. If you drive a lot, it’s the single greatest upgrade you’ll make.

The right choice of vehicle is the biggest step towards greener driving by far. Still, you can support the process further by embracing new habits behind the wheel. Combining multiple journeys into one, organizing a car pool, and improving your usage of the brakes are all key steps.

If you genuinely have the motivation to lead a greener lifestyle, 2021 is the perfect time to make it happen. Now that you know how, there’s no excuse to ignore the process any longer. Ease yourself into the process throughout December, and you’ll never look back!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

4 Unusual Benefits Of Learning From Home For Kids

Standard
4 Unusual Benefits Of Learning From Home For Kids

Earlier in the year, schools around the world closed their doors for many months. At the same time, teaching still moved forward and kids still learned. It was all done at home, and there’s every chance we’ll see this again in the future. Nobody really knows what will happen with COVID in the next few months/years, but you could also look ahead to the distant future. Who knows, learning from home might be the common thing in ten years!

Anyway, you might worry about kids not being in school, but there are actually a few benefits of learning from home like the following:

You get to monitor their work:

When your child is in school, you have to assume they’re paying attention in lessons. You put blind faith in the idea that they are working hard at all times. Realistically, this could be far from the truth and they might mess around a lot. But, if they learn from home, you can monitor their progress. You can check that they’re paying attention and being a good student. Effectively, you make sure they do the school work and actually learn while in class!

They develop better computer skills:

All schools will have a system in place where children can speak to teachers as they learn from home. Typically, this is some kind of cloud based teaching software. As such, your children spend a lot of time working on a computer and using different applications. In this day and age, that can be extremely beneficial. They develop better computer skills, setting them up for better job prospects. You pretty much need to be a computer expert if you want a job in the next decade or so. So, while face-to-face learning may be better in some aspects, studying via a computer doesn’t come without its strengths.

In this day and age, kids learning from home can be extremely beneficial. They develop better computer skills, setting them up for better job prospects. In today’s technological world, numerous digital educational resources can be accessed via a computer, tablet, or other smart device. It explains why platforms like Age of Learning are excellent channels for children to learn while enhancing their computer skills. As your young ones become more proficient in computer usage, they can easily access other learning tools designed with similar programs.

Much better school lunches:

Let’s be honest, school lunches are terrible. They might be good in some schools, but they generally reach a very low standard. By learning from home, your child will have access to the entire kitchen – and your cooking. Therefore, you can make them a much better and more nutritious school lunch. This will definitely help fuel them for the rest of the day.

Fewer distractions and more help:

Your child has fewer distractions when they’re learning from home. This is mainly because they have no classmates causing disruptions. As a consequence, they might be able to focus and get through their work a lot quicker. Plus, the other benefit of not being in a classroom is that they can get more help. If they struggle with something, they can ask you for assistance. There’s no need to wait for the teacher to help twenty other kids before eventually getting to them!

See, learning from home isn’t as bad as you might think. So, you shouldn’t worry if schools close again, and your child is back in this situation. Like everything in life, it’s all about finding the positives out of a negative situation. 

Featured Image By: Pexels

The Best Ways To Surprise Yourself

Standard
The Best Ways To Surprise Yourself

Life can get pretty stale sometimes. Most of the time, if we want to be surprised, we have to wait for someone else to do it by arranging a spontaneous trip or giving us a gift. But what if we didn’t wait? What if, when we wanted to be surprised, we did it ourselves? It might not sound possible since being surprised is all about not knowing what’s coming, but we think it can be done, and we think it should be done. Here are some of our ideas:

Join A Subscription Box:

A subscription box is definitely something you can surprise yourself with. You’ll be sent a new box each month, and you’ll never know what’s going to be inside it. So, although you organized the box to be delivered, and although you’re paying for it, it’s still going to be a surprise. At the same time, it’s something you can look forward to, and this is a scarce combination indeed.

The key to enjoying your subscription box is to pick something you know you’re going to love, whatever the box’s actual contents might be. You could choose a Me Time Box or something that delivers food or cooking ingredients. There are boxes of clothes, bath salts, perfumes, and books. There are subscription boxes for pretty much everything, so search around and you’re sure to find one you like.

Write Yourself Notes:

We might think we’ve got good memories, but the human brain doesn’t remember everything. It only keeps the most important things where they can easily be reached through memory, and everything else is stored away much deeper. These things can usually only be triggered by a certain smell, photographs, or perhaps stories from friends and relatives.

This is why writing notes to yourself can be a great surprise. Write some positive notes and leave them in places where you know you’ll find them later on – maybe months down the line. When you find them, it will be a pleasant surprise and something to make you feel good. Some examples of what you can write include:

  • Stay positive
  • You are beautiful
  • You are loved
  • I’m proud of you
  • Keep going

Place the notes into drawers, under cushions, in coat pockets, in books, or even in outside places that you’re going to return to time and again.

Say Yes:

When we are asked to do something or given any kind of opportunity, there are two responses. You’ll either say yes or no. It’s easier to say no. Saying no means that nothing has to change, and we don’t have to try anything new. So most of the time, that’s what we’ll say.

Why not surprise yourself and say yes, instead? This will give you the chance to try all kinds of new things. Some you will dislike, some you will enjoy, and others you might fall in love with, and your life might change (for the better) because of it. Unless you say yes and give yourself a surprise, you’ll never know. Staying in your comfort zone is not surprising and will only cause stress and anxiety over time. At the very least, you’ll be bored!

Say yes to the ideas above and give yourself a surprise today!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Creating A More Healthy Home

Standard
Creating A More Healthy Home

You want your home to be a healthy and safe space for your family to live in and there are plenty of things you can do to make sure your home is more health conscious. Whether it’s being more environmentally aware or making better choices with your food, here are some tips to make a healthier home:

Shop Healthy:

Grocery shopping for healthy food is a great way to start the improvement process. Try to create a list beforehand and have your meal options ready so that you can shop for all the necessary bits and pieces you’ll need to make it. It’s worth trying to find healthy alternatives to anything unhealthy that you buy as you certainly may find that there’s more available now than ever before. With an increased focus on different dietary requirements, you are likely to find a lot more suitable options out there that are going to taste good whilst also being very healthy.

Keep Up With Home Maintenance:

Home maintenance is important to keep up with as they can often affect your household’s health if you don’t look after it. For example, ensuring your heating and air conditioning units are working properly and that any necessary filters have been cleaned in order to keep the air nice and clean. It’s worth getting a company like River City Heating and Air who can help with any home maintenance or fixes that need doing. You should also be looking at other machines in your home like the washing machine and dishwasher, for example, to check that they’re being deep cleaned on a regular basis. Failure to do so might result in damage to the machines but also problems with your health in what clings to clothing or what’s found in the filters of your dishwasher.

Sometimes, however, problems will occur in your home that can’t be avoided with regular maintenance. It is a good idea to compile a list of professionals that you can call when a situation arises. This can include emergency electrical services, emergency plumbers, locksmiths, a garage door repair company, roof repair professionals, and tree removal specialists. Time is of the essence when a home emergency takes place and knowing who to call can only help you and save money when avoiding further damage.

Go Green & Save Money:

Going green can be helpful in creating a healthier home that’s not only beneficial for you but can also help you to protect the environment too. Look at the ways in which you can go green and how you might be able to save money at the same time. One example is to consider solar energy and installing solar panels onto the property in order to generate its own electricity. If you decide to go green with solar, we suggest maximizing the system efficiency by hooking up the panels to a battery storage. That way you can store the excess power and use it when your panels are not producing electricity.

Solar panels are amazing for the environment and can prove to be a huge money saver in the long run. This is an especially good option if your home gets a lot of natural sunlight. If you are interested in learning more, simply enter a search for “solar panels houston” (or your local area). A consultation with a team of professionals can answer your questions and provide you with the next steps to take.

Speaking of electricity, you could also consider a change in your commute with an electric vehicle. This is not only good for the environment but good for your wallet too. You can even use the help of Residential electricians in your area to install an EV charging station for you so you never have to worry about tracking one down. Finally, you could start recycling more and embracing a paperless and plastic-free home. Both of these are easy to do, and it just requires a bit of extra work and effort on your part.

Free Your Space Of Clutter:

If your home is full of clutter, it’s a good idea to try and find ways of freeing up your excess items where possible. Look at what you have in your areas now and to do a declutter every so often. You may be best to do it at the start and end of each season, seeing as we can end up bringing in a lot of stuff into our homes over time. Be active when it comes to staying on top of clutter, and you’ll have a much more enjoyable at home experience because of it.

Transform Your Garden:

Transforming your garden is one area of the home that often gets overlooked. However, you could do many things in your garden and that includes growing your own food. Improve your garden in different ways and make it a more livable space for you and your household. Whether it’s entertaining guests around a fire pit or pruning the garden with your children, the garden can be a great place to keep yourselves healthy.

Creating a healthy home is important, so use these tips to begin a positive change today!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Hi, How Are You?

Standard
Hi, How Are You?

Hi there! Recently at work, I took a client through a McDonald’s drive thru for lunch. I pulled my car up to the speaker and greeted whomever was working with a standard “Hi, how are you?” A very young and shocked sounding male voice told me “no one ever asks me how I’m doing, I guess I’m doing pretty good”. We chatted for a few seconds and he took my order, then I pulled up to his window to make the transaction.

A barely twenty-something year old kid who looked miserable, at best, had the voice I could finally put a face to. However, when I pulled my car up, he gave me a huge smile and thanked me for “being cool”. My heart somewhat broke and exploded. Broke because this young man working at a Micky D’s right off of the highway had a high point in his day just because I asked him how he was. Exploded because something so simple improved how he felt and, therefore, it made me feel good.

After I rolled up to the next window, I proceeded to give his compliments to the manager because he deserved it. He was prompt and kind and I wanted his day to continue to be the best. When my client and I drove away she told me “I think you made his day” and I told her that he made mine too.

Times are crazy right now. COVID and political unrest do not make for the most ideal living situation! But, times are never too crazy to be friendly to everyone you encounter and I think this story definitely can attest to that. ❤

How has someone made your day recently? How have you made someone’s day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Four Ways To Help Bring Calmness To Your Life

Standard
Four Ways To Help Bring Calmness To Your Life

Bringing a sense of calmness into your life can be refreshing. With the hustle and bustle of life, things tend to get a little overwhelming and it’s good to find some perspective to keep grounded. Here are four ways to help bring a sense of tranquility into your day:

Reduce Your Stress Levels:

Stress is something that can really throw you off from keeping yourself calm, and not only is it something that affects you mentally, it can also have a lot of physical impacts too. It’s important to try and find ways to reduce your stress levels where you can and try to control what stress has been created in your life that you might be able influence. If you’re finding your job is getting too stressful, make the necessary arrangements to try and find solutions to making it more bearable. Whether it’s speaking to your boss or looking for a job that is less stressful in nature. There are both big and small ways that you can help to reduce your stress levels. Look at what’s stressing you out currently and pinpoint the areas where you might be able to improve it.

Find Positive Outlets:

Positive outlets are good for controlling stress and for bringing more calmness to your life. Everyone has various outlets that keep them satisfied and happy in life. Yours might be a lot different from the next person, but that’s fine as long as they bring comfort for you. So perhaps one of these outlets might be reading a book once a week or month? It could be taking fitness classes or picking up a hobby that you’ve always wanted to try. Find something that’s going to be good for you, and the more you have, the better you’ll feel.

Keep Yourself Distracted:

Keeping yourself distracted can certainly help when it comes to bringing more peace into your life. Avoid the things that are causing the issues and find those parts in your life that help to keep you distracted. It might be trying some products from kayahempco.com or throwing yourself into work if that’s something you enjoy doing. There will always be something that can help keep you from thinking about those negatives in your life, so concentrate on what will give you that opportunity to switch off.

Surround Yourself With The Right People:

Surrounding yourself with the right people is certainly important, and there can be a lot of joy that comes from being with those you love. Spending time with people who are going to bring you up, rather than put you done will be so much better for your state of mind and promoting a more carefree lifestyle. It’s not healthy to have people in your life who are going to bring you down.

Life isn’t always calm, but can be when we focus on the things that make us happiest!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Redefining How You Perceive Yourself In Daily Life

Standard
Redefining How You Perceive Yourself In Daily Life

Self-image can seem like a tertiary consideration to reflect upon, but it actually defines much of how we view the world, and how we relate to other people. For instance, if you hold very little self-confidence, everyone can seem impressive and, sometimes, others can take advantage of you more easily. If you are thoroughly narcissistic and egocentric, odds are you’ll have trouble really connecting with anyone or forming trusting relationships.

Of course, it’s rare that we are either one or the other. Personalities are complex, to the point where even the best behavioral scientists, psychologists, and neurologists haven’t and likely will never fully map out how our ‘souls’ can express themselves. But that doesn’t mean you can’t commit to personal changes that make the most sense.

Redefining how your perceive yourself in everyday life can seem like an intense challenge and reflective habit, something that we might not be very comfortable with. Yet taking small changes for the better and doing so with a sense of grace and consideration can lead to big, positive changes. For instance, what if instead of telling yourself that you’re not skilled enough, you simply thought ‘I can give this a go?’ Odds are, you’d benefit dramatically over the years.

Now, try the following to help keep the positivity flowing in your life:

Daily Affirmations:

Daily affirmations needn’t share voodoo, spiritual, or otherwise ethereal beliefs. Simply looking in the mirror and telling yourself you are powerful and are about to enjoy a great day can be enough. Telling yourself you look great in the mirror and pointing your finger-guns to confirm it can be enough. How we speak to ourselves matters, because ultimately you will begin to believe the narratives you tell yourself. If you wouldn’t allow a friend to speak to you that way, why allow yourself?

Working Towards Improvement:

Confidence can also come from working to improve yourself. For instance, if you’re obese, does that really matter if you’re now eating right and working out as you can? Obesity is just a present state, sooner rather than later you’ll be amazed at the progress you’re making. This can help you avoid feeling completely stuck in the situation you are in now. No matter what the improvement is, from taking care of your skin to losing weight or simply feeling more body-confident with well-fitting clothes, you have a sense of progression and something to be really proud of. For some, this might be emphasized with a new tattoo or a visit to SOMA surgery center for further work. This can help you feel positive about your self-image to an untold degree.

Comparing Yourself To Yesterday:

Comparing yourself to yesterday is much better than comparing yourself to someone else’s stature today. If you’re stronger and more pensive than you were last week, that’s good news. If you feel happier in that you’ve managed to achieve a life milestone, be that a promotion or starting a new relationship, it doesn’t matter that someone ten years younger than you is advising the United Nations. What matters is your own progress. Remember, you’re lapping everyone stuck on the couch!

With this advice, we hope you can incrementally redefine how you perceive yourself in daily life – all for the better.

Featured Image By: Pexels