In My Everyday Life

The Simple Joys I Miss

Hey wonderful you. Happy Sunday. Hope you’re well and feeling great!!!

I’ve been thinking about how I’m missing the simple things that I used to do that filled me with joy. Those moments that fill my heart have now become like a luxury item. Going to lunch with my son, giving my granddaughter a big old hug. Just having a conversation without a mask on.

I miss putting on makeup, since I wear a mask I haven’t. I miss going out to the mall and just walking around looking at all the clothes and things in the stores. Getting my hair done and meeting a friend for lunch afterwards. Or, not being concerned that the store may run out of an item I need. September two years ago I went to my granddaughters school for grandparents day lunch, right now living with the restrictions of COVID that is not a possibility.

This pandemic has definitely put a stop on social interaction the way we knew it. The one good thing that I’m loving is my family’s weekly zoom gatherings. Something we didn’t do before and we’re loving and hoping to continue after too.

And I miss taking my little trips to Las Vegas to visit with my son and family, going to Tivoli Village for a cup of coffee, sitting outside and watching all the people walking by. Can’t wait to get back to all of it.

What I’m doing

Cause’ I love berries and I love red, I thought I’d share these photos I took a while back.

Well, I can’t believe how fast this week flew by, and I only read a few pages of this book. To be honest, I really didn’t want to get into it, because I’m writing an article for the magazine. But, I hope I can finish it before I have to return it to the library.

And talking about magazine, yeap, The Inspired Guide is coming back and I’ll continue to be a regular monthly contributor. So excited and happy. First issue is due out on 9/1/21, I’ll keep you posted.

Worth sharing. I love grains but I’ve never eaten Millet so I’m going to try it.

And

If you’re feeling kind of out of it, sluggish and need a little boost, take a walk around your neighborhood.

Hope you enjoyed this little posting today. What are you up to, what simple joys are you missing? I’d love to know.

Wishing you a wonderful Sunday & week ahead & blessings!

August 8, 2021

MashaLeave a comment

Don’t Drag the Upsets of yesterday into the New Week

Hey wonderful you. Happy Sunday. Hope you’re well and feeling great!!!

This week I was thinking about how we carry stuff that weighs heavily on us, from one week into the next. Stuff that limits us, makes us feel bad, anxious and stressed, not realizing that we’re blocking ourselves and hurting our own selves. This stuff creates heavy energy within our bodies that can potentially create serious health issues.

Nothing is worth keeping inside of you that is not nurturing you.

Try something new this week and don’t drag the upsets of what happened yesterday into the new week.

Life is not simple, things happen, and we tend to hold onto the stress it creates and replay it in our mind over and over again. Someone says an unkind word, a not so flattering comment on social media. And even we ourselves, at times we put our foot in our mouth and then beat ourselves up over it. We cling to stress and hold on to that powerful emotion.

We let ourselves get so caught up in stuff, that we loose sight of the big important things, like our own well-being, our health and our joy.

The most important thing we can do for ourselves is to let go of that which makes us feel anxious, frustrated, less than and a host of other negative feelings.

I’m not saying that things don’t happen to us, that we don’t need to process, or that we should just dismiss, and that’s a whole other blog post. What I’m saying is that, the more we hold onto what makes us anxious or stressed, the more it eats away at us. And while it may not show up on us now, it can potentially show up on us years later in unhealthy ways.

But, here’s the thing, we do have choices and we can practice accepting what was and let go of it.

So my invitation to you is –

And this works great for me, is to do a weekly check in with yourself, this way you can leave what doesn’t benefit your highest good and start each week with a fresh, clear mind and body. You can also do this daily too.

Look at what you’re holding onto. Decide how important is it to you? Why? Ask yourself, is it important enough to get stressed out over and put your health in jeopardy? Stuff that angers you, makes you frustrated, annoyed or shameful, is not nourishing you. So, it’s not important, let it go, release it out of you, it’s your choice, you have the power to decide.

Start the week with a celebration of yourself. Declare 3 things you love about yourself. Write them down, look at them throughout the week, especially in moments when frustration may rise up. This week my 3 things are that – I love that I trust in myself. I love that I support myself. I love that I value myself.

Instead of focusing on stuff that upsets you, turn your focus on what makes you feel good and happy.

What I’m doing

In my home this week, cause I fell in love with these luscious yellow Pums. I got a large bunch so I put some in a couple of different rooms 🙂 I love yellow, don’t you? It’s such a happy color.

I had a different book I was planning to read but then my book came in from the library so I’m reading this.

Worth sharing, Simone Biles, on why mental health is more important than medals.

Check out my cute, fun, post this week on Instagram here.

And

For all my procrastinating friends I thought I’d share these words from Gretchen Rubin “Nothing is more exhausting than the task that’s never started.” Love it, a reminder to myself.

Hope you enjoyed this little posting today. Let us know what you think, reading, doing, I’d love to know.

Wishing you a wonderful Sunday & week ahead & blessings!

August 1, 2021

Masha2 Comments

Surprising Health Benefits of Walking barefoot on the Grass

Hey wonderful you. Happy Sunday. Hope you’re well and feeling great!!!

The other day I went outside and I walked around barefoot for a bit on the grass in my back yard, and OMG it felt sooooo gooood. When I sat down the bottom of my feet were tingling, I felt an energy in my feet, well, actually I felt an energy in my entire body. L o v e it. Feeling that energy got me thinking why I’m not doing this more and I wanted to know more about the benefits.

This is what I found out:

The bottom of your feet have pressure points, they connect to every organ in your body when you touch the earth barefoot you’re connecting with and receiving the electromagnetic energy directly into your body, and that’s very healing.

Research shows that walking barefoot on the earth helps with insomnia. Reduce pain caused by varicose veins, promotes good heart health, strengthens the immune system. Walking barefoot stimulates specific pressure points which then stimulate nerves and veins which improve your nervous system. It can reduce inflammation. And guess what else? Walking barefoot will automatically reduce any stress because as you’re walking the nerves in your feet are being stimulated which reduces stress. Touching the earth barefoot will improve your eyesight and there’s lots more but I’m trying to consolidate here.

I don’t know all the scientific research, but I do know how walking barefoot on the grass makes me feel. So, I wanted to share this tidbit with you this week, and BTW you don’t have to just walk barefoot on grass, you can walk barefoot on the beach, on the sand, you can just stand in one place, or sit and put your feet barefoot on the earth, to receive it’s energy, just be careful not to step on anything harmful.

We are a powerful positive force in nature and when we connect with the natural world we heal and expand.

If our beautiful earth can grow trees and flowers and weeds and vegetables it can grow us too. The same miracle that produces berries and spinach and all kinds of nuts, can produce health in us.

What do you think, I’d love to know.

^^^

What I’m doing

I love a bargain, so I got this book for $2.99 my next fiction read. Plus I couldn’t put down the last book I read from this author, so I’m hoping this will be another can’t put it down read.

The universe is constantly giving us signs and messages, sometimes the message is brought to us by a visitation from an animal. I just got this book about animal spirit guides, can’t wait to read.

Have a wonderful week ahead and many blessings.

July 25, 2021July 25, 2021

Masha6 Comments

It May Not Be Procrastination

Hey wonderful you. Happy Sunday. Hope you’re well and feeling great!!!

This past week was a week of ‘procrastinating’ for me, or at least that’s how I saw it until now.

I actually had been feeling kind of out of it for a couple of weeks, but this past week I couldn’t get myself to do anything, I had no energy. No matter how much I tried to force myself, I just couldn’t get off the couch. And suddenly it was Friday, it seemed like the week went by in a flash. At first I was upset, and I felt anxious, because a whole week went by and I did nothing of what I had planned. There’s the course I signed up for, writing, going out for a walk…and when I don’t do anything, I feel like I’m letting myself down.

Going without giving yourself time to rest is like trying to drive your car on empty.

And now looking at it from a fresh perspective I realize that, what I thought of as procrastination was actually my body telling me I need to rest.

Sometimes you just need to give yourself a moment of rest, a break from it all, let go and just do nothing and since I wasn’t paying attention to what I needed, it showed up disguised as procrastination. But, the reality is that, it was my body and mind telling me I need to stop, hit pause for a bit in order to refresh, recharge, renew, and reenergize.

Self-care is part of my healthy lifestyle and listening to my body is a must in order to maintain my wellbeing. So, sometime I’m a little slow in learning LOL, but, I’m listening to my body now and following its guidance for rest. This week I’m paying attention to my needs, I’m hitting pause without feeling guilty, anxious, or thinking that I’m missing out. I’m hitting pause knowing that this is what I need right now and the best thing I can do for myself is to honor my inner needs.

When your body, mind and spirit is exhausted, rest is exactly the nourishment you need to refresh, recharge, renew, and reenergize yourself.

So I’m sharing this gentle reminder for, hit the pause button and honor yourself with the gift of rest, when you need it.

^ ^ ^

What I’m doing

In my kitchen cause I fell in love with these gorgeous pink roses.

I absolutely love this check it out.

I’m getting into bullet journaling and I’m trying out different ways to track my daily goals, here.

Have a wonderful week ahead and many blessings.

July 18, 2021

Masha4 Comments

Friday Musings and Goodness

Hello wonderful you, it’s almost the weekend YAY!!! Hope all is well and you’re great!

From my higher self –

Bloom at your own speed.

Blooming is not something you can rush.

Don’t compare yourself to others, every one of us is on our own time-table, moving on our journey, at our own speed.

You don’t need to prove yourself to anyone. You’re not behind. You don’t need to catch up.

You are where you are.

You can only learn and grow to the level of your own acceptance.

Look into yourself, what limiting beliefs are you holding onto that are stopping you from growing.

Those beliefs are like weeds and every time you remove a weed from the garden of your soul, you’re making room to bloom.

You are in charge of you, remove the weeds and plant new seeds. Open your mind and your heart and allow yourself to change.

Nourish yourself with goodness and – bloom!

What I’m doing

In my kitchen. Got these flowers on Wednesday while out shopping, they look so beautiful. I love flowers in my kitchen, pure joy.

I’m still reading this book I was able to extend it from the library for another 14 days.

Just finished, The Beach Reads Book Club by Kathryn Freeman, another couldn’t put down book.

Hope you enjoyed this little posting today. Let us know what you’re reading, doing, I’d love to know.

Have a lovely day and weekend.

Much goodness and blessings

July 9, 2021

Masha6 Comments

July Inspiration

Doing a daily check in with yourself is a great way to self-care. I’ve started a new practice, along with my regular journal writing, I’m also journaling these questions – how am I feeling and what do I need right now? These questions center and ground me to my own being. They bring my focus onto myself and I’m most likely to embrace myself and give myself what I need throughout the day. It keeps me from getting drained and depleted. On days when I forget to ask the question, I don’t feel as nourished.

I love this new practice, I love asking the questions in my journal, and so I wanted to share it with you. It’s really making a difference throughout the day for me. My self-care practice has changed over time and I have to laugh because when I first started, I felt guilty and afraid, it was almost like a taboo thing to do. I wasn’t brought up to think of me or do anything for myself, I looked at it as being a very needy and selfish thing and how dare I.

What I know now is that when you take care of yourself, you’re empowering yourself and functioning at your highest best. Your energy extends out of you, so when you’re feeling good, you’re extending that good energy out into the universe, and all those around you benefit.

How am I feeling? What do I need right now?

You don’t have to write in a journal, you can just ask yourself the questions and pay attention to what comes up for you. Every day your needs may be different, today you may need a little emotional self-care. On another day it may be mental, physical or spiritual self-care. What you do doesn’t have to be anything big, reading a passage or two from your favorite book or, if you’re working, eating lunch by yourself, may be just the little pampering you need.

Taking time for your own self-care strengthens your relationship with yourself, it empowers you to live at your highest best. You’ll feel more balanced, less stressed. It can also have a positive effect on your long term health, and you’ll most likely be able to better care for those you love. These are just a few of the benefits of being mindful of yourself.

I’ve decided to commit to my new practice for the month of July. Come and play along with me, commit to yourself and take the necessary steps to bring yourself to greater health by putting your needs first and nourishing your mind body and spirit.

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” Buddha

Let me know what you think, I’d love to know.

Happy July + lots of blessings