Who Were You?

I have been reading a book called Fire Starter Sessions by Danielle LaPorte (highly recommend by the way). I came upon a very important question and it just stopped me in my tracks:

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"Can you remember who you were, before the world told you who you should be?"

Can you remember? Go ahead, ponder... Take as long as you need.

For many, that's a loaded question. For me, as well.

And the answer for a very long time was sadly, No, not really. 

But luckily, this past year I have been on a journey of remembering who I really am (I can't help but smile as I type that). So the answer is shifting.

 Sure, I have seen sparks of the real me (my true essence) over the years, but as I have discovered on my long and amazing journey in 2102, I somehow became a mixture of what the world actually wanted me to be and what I thought the world wanted me to be. Taken over by all the should's and the have to's,  the need to be's, and the good enough's, my true self kind of got lost along the way. Until recently, I almost didn't recognize myself from even 7 years ago (got married, had 3 kids). While I wouldn't trade the last 7 years for anything because some absolutely amazing things happened during them (for which I am so grateful), I do recognize that this was the one of the times I struggled the most with who I was supposed to be.

For most of us (myself included), this starts when we are very young. We are constantly getting messages from our parents, family, friends and teachers about how we should look, act, talk, etc. Some of these messages are verbal and some are never spoken but the message is heard loud and clear. I can already see it in my five year old as he is learning about the world.

Working in a middle school, I also see first hand how strong the desire to fit in can be. I remember it from when I was in school too. They are trying to meet the expectations of their parents, teachers and  coaches. Then there is the strong desire to fit in with their peers. Conversations with my students remind me that middle school is a tough time and that kids can be just brutal to each other. Sadly, I see many students change who they are and how they behave and act because they think it is the right thing to do. Kids who I thought I really knew in 6th grade I sometimes can't even recognize as 8th graders.  Maybe it doesn't have to be that way. Maybe losing yourself does not have to be a part of growing up.   One day, I hope to go into schools and help empower kids (especially girls) to be who they really are.

As for me, this past year has been a year of remembering, healing and finding my voice. Each step I take back to my true self fuels my passion for life. With each step, I naturally become the parent, wife, friend, coach, etc. that I was meant to be. My life is no longer scripted by what the world thinks I  should be or how I think the world wants me to be. And I know I can never go back. I am too in love with this journey.

So now my friends, I pass the talking stick on to you:

"Can you remember who you were, before the world told you who you should be?" 

Or

Have you been on a journey similar to my own? 

If you feel moved to, please comment below (where it says post a comment). I'd love to hear about it!


In Wellness,



Wellness is made of the small choices we make everyday. What have you done today to embrace wellness?

Are you ready to find your fabulous? I am here to help and support you in reaching your goals. Click here to contact me for a free consultation.

Newsletter: Sign up for my newsletter to receive more wellness tips, tricks and information. I promise I won't bombard you and the information will be worth it! Just click the newsletter button on the right side of the screen. Hope to hear from you soon!

Content copyright 2013. Embrace Wellness Now. All rights reserved.

Not So Ordinary Moments

It happened to be one of those crazy run out of the house days. We were running late and the kids were not cooperating. Things felt really chaotic and I was in such a hurry to get to work. I rushed the kids through breakfast and nagged them to get their boots and coats on.

They were having none of it. My little girl didn't want her hood. My little boy waited to find his toy spider, which just did not want to be found. I must have asked them to get their coats and shoes on 10 times.

Just getting out of the door was difficult and my stress level was rising.

Then came the chore of getting them in their car seats. Possibly, my least favorite thing to do all day!

"Hurry up!"
"We're gonna be late!"
"Get in!" "
"Sit down!"

After what seemed like a very long time, I got them strapped into their car seats and we are finally on our way. My mind going over my to-do-list for the day in my head.

As we pulled onto the road, my son asked what turns out to be a the most important question I have received in a very long time.

"Mommy can we go really slow to school?"

I pause and the think about how many things I still have to do. There's no time to slow down!  I should be driving faster! I have so much to do AND I still have to get you guys dropped off at school (none of this was said out loud, thank goodness).

His next line took my breath away.

"Because I want to be with you forever."

And then my heart melted.

And then I felt a little bit ashamed.

You see, dropping my kids off at school, was just another thing to check off my to do list. Something, I didn't really love all that much. It takes too long and quite truthfully it's exhausting to get them settled in.

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In all my rushing and hurrying this morning, I had forgotten, that even the time it takes to drop off my kids at school is a precious gift. It's not just something to check off my to-do-list on the way to something else.

So I thought about our car rides to school.

-Extra hug requests from their car seats,"huggies, huggies!" Most of them come when I am in the biggest hurry.
-The excitement when getting stopped by a train. "What kind is it?' They always ask.
-The awe of spotting a deer on the way to school.
-The request for their favorite songs (Right now one is- Any Dream Will Do-Joseph)
-My sons never ending questions about anything from the water cycle to where people go when they die, to how old elves have to be to work for Santa.
-My daughter in her own little world singing her own beautiful songs
-The kids pointing out things that interest them on the way into the school and to their classroom.

And then I remembered a powerful line from a book I read:

"There are no ordinary moments" 
-Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman.

Each of these little moments can be sacred if I take the time to make it so.

My kids still understand the no ordinary moment concept very well. Everything is still new and exciting to them. Each moments is a treasure of new sights, sounds, feelings and information. Thankfully, they have not become imprisoned by the demands of time and responsibility yet, as so many adults have. All that is important to them is that a car ride is another opportunity to spend time with me.

So, how did I handle this question? I took it as a gift from a very wise little boy and I listened.
And I slowed down. And for a little while the demands of time vanished. We talked, we sang, and we connected. When we pulled up to school, I took a deep breath. I didn't rush them when they wanted show me something that was important to them, I held their hands and I gave them extra hugs.

My little guy got an extra tight hug that day and I thanked him for being so sweet and reminding me of what's important.

There are no ordinary moments.

I encourage you to look for and recognize the not so ordinary moments in your life (the ones that would be so simple to overlook and take for granted). I think you'll be amazed at how much more special and beautiful each day can become!

What is your favorite not-so-ordinary moment? Love to hear about it!

In Wellness,



Wellness is made of the small choices we make everyday. What have you done today to embrace wellness?

Are you ready to find your fabulous? I am here to help and support you in reaching your goals. Click here to contact me for a free consultation.

Newsletter: Sign up for my newsletter to receive more wellness tips, tricks and information. I promise I won't bombard you and the information will be worth it! Just click the newsletter button on the right side of the screen. Hope to hear from you soon!

Content copyright 2013. Embrace Wellness Now. All rights reserved.

This is Your Life

This is your life, are you who you want to be?
This is your life, are you who you want to be?

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This is your life, is it everything you dreamed it would be?                   
When the world was younger and you had everything to lose.

I went to sleep and woke up this morning with these lyrics running through my head and I just had to share them.

The song is -This is Your Life by Switchfoot.

This song as been such a great motivator for me as I continue on my adventure of living the life I had always dreamed.

Here is the link to the lyric version so you can watch it with the sound down if necessary (although I like both the song and the lyrics):
Click here for the link to the video: 

Happy listening!


Does this song inspire you? 
What songs are at the top of your chart these days?


I'd love to hear about it.  Click below to on the comment button below to leave your reply!

In Wellness,



Wellness is made of the small choices we make everyday. What have you done today to embrace wellness?

Are you a wellness procrastinator who is ready to Embrace Wellness Now? I am here to help and support you in reaching your goals. Click here to contact me for a free consultation.

Newsletter: Sign up for my newsletter to receive more wellness tips, tricks and information. I promise I won't bombard you and the information will be worth it! Just click the newsletter button on the right side of the screen. Hope to hear from you soon!

De-Stress Your Morning

"If you look up the word Chaos in the dictionary, you will see a picture of our family between the hours of 5-7 am." - my husband.

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 Yes, this was actually a post my husband put on Facebook not too long ago. Somewhat embarrassing, but true. With three kids and two parents who work full time, it can definitely get a little crazy.

Since that post, I have tried to make the morning a little more relaxing for myself and my family. Our mornings tend to set the tone for the whole day. I notice on the mornings that we are less rushed, the entire day seems to run smoother, I am calmer, more focused, and time efficient. I can only imagine the benefits it has for my kids.

What does morning look like in your household?

If your mornings are anything like ours, the following tips might help-

Three Ways to Add More Calm to Your Mornings:

1. Wake up a little earlier-  If you must set your alarm, set it 15 minutes early so that you can take a little time to wake up. Before you even get up stretch a little and take a couple deep breaths. Try and focus on the positive aspects of your day ahead.

2. Be prepared- I know this is such a common tip and probably not new for you, but it works! When I have not taken time to prepare, we waste a lot of time, finding lost sock or gloves or cuddle buddies (for the kids of course). But when I have everything ready- backpacks and bags packed, and clothes laid out the night before- it makes the morning a much more happier, less stressful time. If you are taking a lot of items with you, a short checklist by the door might help you prevent wasting time by having to come back home for forgotten items.

3. Make time for yourself and your family to eat breakfast. For the best digestion, eat sitting down. Keep it light if you like, but try it. I know mornings are very busy, but even just 5-10 minutes of sitting down and eating in the morning can help your family start the day off right. Aim for a few days a week and see if you notice a difference.

Here's to a calm and peaceful morning!

More to come on morning rituals.....

Which tip was most helpful for you? How do you de-stress your morning?


I'd love to hear about it.  Click below to leave your reply!

In Wellness,



Wellness is made of the small choices we make everyday. What have you done today to embrace wellness?

Are you a wellness procrastinator who is ready to Embrace Wellness Now? I am here to help and support you in reaching your goals. Click here to contact me for a free consultation.

Newsletter: Sign up for my newsletter to receive more wellness tips, tricks and information. I promise I won't bombard you and the information will be worth it! Just click the newsletter button on the right side of the screen. Hope to hear from you soon!

Information Paralysis and Healthy Eating

I have a passion for food. Especially healthy food. This passion has intensified in the past five years and having kids really kicked it up a notch. I love talking about food and eating it.  I have made big changes in the way I eat (and look) and it seems to have drawn a lot of attention and curiosity. So now I get a lot of questions about what I eat from family, friends and colleagues.

Like me, I think many people have an interest in healthy eating and what it consists of. However, there is so much conflicting information out there that it can be tough for anyone to navigate.

Which is Better?

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Meat vs. no meat
Dairy vs. no dairy
Fat vs. no fat
High carb vs. low carb
Whole grain vs. no grain
Organic vs. non-organic
Non-GMO vs. GMO
Raw vs. cooked
Soy vs. no soy

You get the picture. The crazy thing is, that there is research and advertisements out there to back it all. We get information about what and how to eat from so many places:

* TV- With celebrities who are backing Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers or the newest advertisement for weight loss shakes, medications, etc.
*The Internet- Websites, Facebook, G-Mail, You Tube, etc.
*Newspaper and magazine articles- Interestingly enough, researchers tend to find what they want to find in their studies. The press tends to highlight the parts of the study that is most controversial (I can go on and on about this but will save it for a later date).
*Dr. Oz (come on, you know you watch him)
*Radio
*The Government

The information out their can be so paralyzing that people will just say,

"Screw it! I'm just going to eat what I want. Life is short." 

I can't tell you how many times I have heard this.

First things first, life is short and I see no reason to make it shorter by our food choices. 

Second, there are steps that you can take to start cleaning up your eating- Today

Here is what I've found:

Healthy eating is

 *A process, a conscious choice daily to take in foods that nourish our body mind and spirit.
 *Listening to our individual bodies to find out what foods we feel best on.
 *Eating foods that are as whole, clean and unprocessed as possible.
 *Eating high nutrient foods not just calories

Healthy eating is not

*A one size fits all formula for the perfect weight
*Temporary
*Starving yourself

Nutrition Information Paralysis Got you Stuck?

Regardless of all the information out there here are three tips to help you move forward:

1. Understand that every BODY is different- Our genetics make us unique. What your body thrives on may be like poison to me. We could eat the same exact foods at the same time, in the same quantity and have very different results.

2. Listen to your body- This has been the most important key for me. Listening to your body is like going straight to the source of the best information you will ever find. It will tell you what it needs by how you feel after you eat, throughout your day and at bedtime. Look at things like energy, focus and pain to give you an indicator if the foods you are currently eating are what's best for you.

3. Start reading ingredients- Just start to notice what's in the food you are eating. Go to your pantry, fridge or freezer and just look. You will be amazed at what you find- hidden sugar, soy, artificial colors, flavors and preservatives (to name a few). I try to buy foods that have five ingredients or less. I also try to buy foods that have the most natural ingredients I can find. If I can't pronounce something, I don't want my family eating it. Once you have noticed what's in your pantry, pick one item that is concerning and try to find a more natural option.

Get started today! Wellness is waiting!

What is your biggest obstacle to healthy eating?


I'd love to hear about it.  Click below to leave your reply!

In Wellness,



Wellness is made of the small choices we make everyday. What have you done today to embrace wellness?

Are you a wellness procrastinator who is ready to Embrace Wellness Now? I am here to help and support you in reaching your goals.

Newsletter: Sign up for my newsletter to receive more wellness tips, tricks and information. I promise I won't bombard you and the information will be worth it! Just click the newsletter button on the right side of the screen. Hope to hear from you soon!

Disclaimer: Please read

Change of Plans

The past couple weeks I have settled into a nice little morning routine. Get up early (way before the kids usually get up), go downstairs, make some coffee or lemon juice and get on my computer to do work.

I've grown to look forward to my quiet time to check e-mail, read and write blogs, catch up and post on Facebook, etc.

Today, the universe was not having any of it.

I opened my computer and that annoying little spinning wheel appeared. This was followed by the even more annoying "page can't be found" message.

The Internet was not working.... GASP!

I did all the things a non-tech person would do, but to no avail. Clearly, the universe was telling me to try something else. So I decided to listen.

Was it telling me to go back to bed?  Nope!

As I was thinking of my options, I noticed a blank notebook on the table. I had been wanting to get clear on some plans and goals for my business.  Perfect timing. So I found some colorful pens and began.

Writing really helps me when I need to get clear on things. I love the feel of the pen in my hand and ink on a blank, clean and beautiful sheet of paper. I love how my thoughts flow out so smoothly and then being able to hold them in my hand.


After writing for a little while, I felt clearer and ready to start my day.

I tried my computer again and lo and behold- It Worked!

What a great reminder that sometimes it is OK to just unplug. To be with myself, my paper and pens.

When was the last time you had a change of plans that turned out to be just what you needed?

I'd love to hear about it.  Click below to leave your reply!

In Wellness,



Wellness is made of the small choices we make everyday. What have you done today to embrace wellness?

Are you a wellness procrastinator who is ready to Embrace Wellness Now? I am here to help and support you in reaching your goals.

Newsletter: Sign up for my newsletter to receive more wellness tips, tricks and information. I promise I won't bombard you and the information will be worth it! Just click the newsletter button on the right side of the screen. Hope to hear from you soon!

Inspirations: Found Them- Now What?

Ways to Organize Your Inspirations 

So, you've got started on finding your inspirations, now what do you do with them?

 Sort through your collection of inspirations (pictures, quotes, articles, songs, etc.). Then choose the ones that inspire you the most to highlight. Remember these are the ones that make your heart beat a little faster, move you so much it brings you to the verge of tears, empower you to make a difference or make you feel that you can rule the world? You can also look for things that make you happy and make you a smile. Sometimes, the best inspirations may be of a quieter type, providing you with a simple knowing that "all is well... and carry on."

You can keep the other ones in a box or online for later use if you'd like.

Housing Your Inspirations

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1. Use a journal, notebook, photo album or scrapbook to house your favorite inspirations. I actually started this in high school and have recently continued to do it again. You can write, draw or print out images or words that motivate and inspire you. Make it colorful (if you like) and fun. They are great to look at when you need a little pick me up or motivation to keep going.

2. If technology is more your style, there are several sites and programs that you can use including Pinterest, Animoto, and Smilebox. Just wanted to include a few to get you started.

3. Create a playlist on iTunes (or whatever music service you use) with your top 7-10 most inspirational songs. I think you can do this on You-tube too. This is your list so make it as sappy as you'd like. When you need a lift, it will be ready for you.

Remember that in order for these to be most useful, they have to be accessible and available when you need them the most.

Your inspiration is waiting!

What are your favorite ways to organize your inspirations? 

I'd love to hear about it.  Click below to leave your reply!


In Wellness,



Wellness is made of the small choices we make everyday. What have you done today to embrace wellness?

Are you a wellness procrastinator who is ready to Embrace Wellness Now? I am here to help and support you in reaching your goals.

Newsletter: Sign up for my newsletter to receive more wellness tips, tricks and information. I promise I won't bombard you and the information will be worth it! Just click the newsletter button on the right side of the screen. Hope to hear from you soon!

Photo Credit: photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinksherbet/5075477519/">Pink Sherbet Photography</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>

Content copyright 2013. Embrace Wellness Now. All rights reserved.

      

Inspiration hunt: What Inspires You?

Inspiration is all around if we slow down long enough to notice it.

These messages of inspiration bring us up instead of tear us down. They inspire us to do good, feel good, dream big, and make a difference. It's just a matter of what we choose to put our attention on.

Inspiration comes in different forms for everyone (so please don't judge). Some things that make up my Inspiration collection are listed below followed by tips to help you organize yours. By the way, I was not paid to promote any of these.

I highlighted a few in each category.