Healthy Happy Mama

“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” Anais Nin

Have you ever had every intention to do one thing and ended up doing everything but that?

Today, I set aside time to do some serious furniture hunting. And though I made it to a couple showrooms, I lost track of time in some of my favorite minimalist shops. Good news is, I found a chair that caught my eye, though I don’t think the girls were too fond of it. I came across Mitchell Gold +Bob Williams Designs at Living Designs. The Art Deco style accent chair has moderate comfort. I came home with a few swatches, three shades of grey, to choose from.

I picked up a pair of earrings and top at Modern Citizen. And what a pleasant surprise, to see that Léon & George supplies all of the plants in their shop, so I had to a chance to see the amazing condition and care they put into their work. I may have also spent majority of my time being a “professional foodie” enjoying oat milk matcha latte tea and gluten-free treats at Samovar Tea and Caribbean food at The Palms.

Lu checked out art for her room at Mint, but she didn’t find what she was looking for. One thing I love is letting the girls create the ambience that they wish in their rooms and she definitely has something in mind. She took down the mermaid picture in her room from her old room when we moved. I’m still not quite sure what she wants, but I plan to check out Shadra Strickland, an illustrator from Maryland to see if we agree on a piece.

Planning to make another trip out to the city, since many of the showrooms aren’t open on Sundays. Do you have a favorite artist for children’s rooms? Lu has an eye for color and prints, so it will have to be an artist that isn’t afraid of using a little color and texture. Sometimes it’s nice to get lost in everything wonderful… What did you get “lost” in this weekend that gave you pleasure, relaxation and/or joy?

 

“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.” Deepak Chopra

 

I told myself that we would not move for a while, but here I am…

My goal is that our home is always a place of zen. My daughters are in two to three extracurricular actives each, per week. This is our norm, spite my attempts at not being “that parent” who buses their children to and fro from one activity to the next.

Perhaps, I’m still getting use to all the EXTRA space the girls and I have. This is when being a minimalist means your voice echoes in your living room because there isn’t enough material objects to absorb to the sound. Yet, I haven’t fussed with anything except getting everything in working order, and in its place.

I do want to eventually find a unique chair for the living room. Let’s just say, when I bring this topic up as a weekend venture, the girls are immediately withdrawn. I like to consider every option available before I decide what I like. It’s not that I don’t know what I want; I know exactly what I want and nothing else will do. I have probably looked at over a thousand designs and it this point I believe it’s time I expand my skill set in ergonomics and design. So far, I have grown fond of the designs from Carl Hans & Son, MaterDesign, Andreas Engesvik, and Muuto Design. Making plans to visits a few showrooms in San Francisco soon.

The story behind our place is, we drove by, I pointed and said “I want that one”, and in less then a month…well here we are. I was surprised that I didn’t realize how spacious an almost 1300 sq foot home would feel. And how tiny, my giant solid birch wood bed frame would look.

The move mainly consisted of me underestimating how much we had neatly organized in “hiding”. We spent week one donate any items that we hadn’t planned to take along. The second week, we ordered decor for the new house. Okay, to be honest it took two weeks to finalize what decor we wanted. I ordered everything early, so that the items would arrive right before we moved. Somehow, with standard shipping, the items started to arrive two to three days after purchasing. Perhaps, wanting to have everything in advance was taken in the most literal sense by the universe.

In three days, we were completely packed, moved and unpacked. This was, of course, with the help of very dear friends and my daughter packing her little heart away during spring break. I always wondered how I got so lucky, to have friends who always offer to help and a daughter who is an organized planner; we think so much alike.

I received the most wonderful surprise, a private patio off the master bedroom, I had no idea until the week before we moved. My plan is to plant flowers in the garden beds and use this outdoor space for morning yoga and meditation. Ironically, we have been busier than ever since we moved, out and about twelve hours a day, so I haven’t made the time to complete this project. We have been in our home almost three full weeks now.

What I have learned about this move is, we are pretty organized. And if it would have been any other way, I would still have unpacked boxes and things out of place. Also,  I have been whirling through the house at warp speed, and moving things around into  spaces that flow. I’d rather not look for things. Like when the girls ask where an item is, I can tell them the exact location in the house without having to look. I enjoy that, it keeps our home up to speed with our lifestyle.

What best practices do you utilize when you move? What functions of your home compliment your lifestyle in some measurable and pleasing way? If you could reorganize one part of your home what would it be? And please, if you have ANY favorite furniture designers, do share. Much love to you and the space you call home!

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”   ~ Oprah Winfrey 

(Grown Alchemist Hand Cream in Vanilla & Orange Peel; Everlane The Pima Micro Rib Turtleneck in white & Madewell 10″ High-Rise Skinny Jeans in Drop Step-Hem Edition; Beats Solo 3 in black; Aesop Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser; Grown Alchemist Amenity Kit includes Day Cream, Hand Cream, and Lip Balm)

Gratitude is the first word I meditate on every morning before I get out of bed and every night before I fall asleep. It really calibrates my mind and heart to space of positivity.

What I love most about being a minimalist is knowing that everything I own is something I absolutely adore and feeling the sense of gratitude for everything and everyone in my life.

This week we redecorated. Now when I say redecorate, I mean the kind so subtle someone else may not notice at all. Unless you know me very well that is.

I wanted to upgrade my single bed, of almost eight years, to a double while still keeping a sleek look.

I also purchased some much needed minimalist skincare from Grown Alchemist, Aesop and a few gadgets from Apple. I had to talk myself into getting a pair of headphones for working out at the gym, dancing and running because my pods just wouldn’t stay put.

One of the quickest ways to add a little color and increase better air quality in your home is by adding plants. I should know, I have way too many of them. I replaced a majority of the black planters in my home with terra cotta ones and bought my first fig leaf tree, which I’m so in love with.

What do you focus on in meditation, reflect or prayer every morning that puts how beautiful life is in perspective? And did you refresh or renew something in your home or beauty routine this year?

“Your heart knows the way. Run in that direction.” – Rumi

I’m not really one for New Years resolutions. It’s apart of being a yogi – I make “resolutions” or set intentions everyday. Nothing like ending the day by check in with your soul to see where you fell short and could use a little growth.

However, there is so much to reflect on after we have gone full circle around the sun – in 365 days; 8760 hours; 525,600 minutes.

Today, I reflected on a few words of wisdom from my grandma and have set intentions to strive toward improving in these areas. –

1. “Save your pennies baby” – meaning no matter how much you have, save before you spend.

I’m definitely pulling back and saving for bigger things.

2. “Take the good with the bad, and let go” – meaning all things have balance and even bad passes through when you don’t hold on to it.

Having less doesn’t always mean having less material things, but also less emotional stuff to weigh you down. I release and let my heart soar!

3. “A man/woman must know their limitations” – meaning set personal boundaries and respect yourself enough to enforce them in your life and when they are disrupted, know when it’s time to move forward.

Holding on to what no longer serves a purpose in our life just takes up space for things, opportunities, people and places that do.

Thank you grandma for living the “echoes” of my thoughts and giving me the antidote to a consistent state of joy.

I would love to hear what resolutions you make throughout the year and for the New Year.

I’m wishing you a Joyous Year full of happiness, peace, love, and prosperity in 2019!

“Aspire not to have more, but to be more.”  ~ Saint Oscar Romero

(Some of my tried and true products – Essai Nail polish in Bare with me, Fenty Beauty Concealer, PTR Pumpkin Face Scrub, French Girl Rose Lip Scrub, Urb Apothecary Basil Mint Lip Balm. Closet split – left side for everyday attire, right side work attire.)

I worked as a visual merchandising manager for years, so having shoes, purses, attire and beauty products in every trend wasn’t hard to come by.

I spent most of my career listening to women tell me more about their life then you would expect in just a few minutes. And with an open heart, I would just listen and tune into what they were saying. Why were they compelled to consume so much more than they actually needed?

Some joked about not being able to afford their own place while living with their parents or not being able to pay their bills. What?! I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. Then it dawned on me, we are emotional consumers. It’s like we are running from our emotions into one store after another, trying to hide. I know that isn’t the story for everyone, but you’d be surprised how many people live this truth.

So, to shift my own behavior, I wrote out how I felt in a journal that I kept in my car every time before shopping, created the rule of “one”, and only purchased what was on “The List.”

First, the journal – it was nothing fancy, just a way to keep track of myself emotionally. And so much more growth was accomplished then just saving a few extra dollars.

Secondly, the rule of “one” – though I graduated from the need of an emotional shopping journal, I have still kept the rule of “one.”  I can only have “one” of ANY item in my closet – meaning one white T-shirt, one black T-shirt and so on. However, I found a loop hole in my own rule (the loop hole is having different shades of a similar color and different neck lines).

And lastly, “The List” – I would write out what was actually missing from my wardrobe and/or what I was running low on for beauty/home products and if it wasn’t on “The List”, I didn’t buy it. This was and still is the hardest, most beneficial thing I could have ever done. My kids weren’t too fond of it at the time. Now, when I need something I wasn’t even thinking about until I spotted the sale sign – you know that “thing”; they remind me, “mom that’s definitely not on the list.” Thank the universe for children! They are so straightforward, quick to call you out and, in this case, saved me thousands of dollars. That’s the hilarious cycle of life!

Truthfully, the biggest shift was when I became a working mother, who returned as a full time college student, with a little one with sleep apnea. Let’s just say, that since I’m writing this blog that I survived! For those mamas with little ones, it does get easier. It was the norm that I would get 2 to 3 hours of sleep a night on a good day. Yes, I said on a good day. Which meant getting ready needed to be simplified and then simplified further.

My mantra for the first three years as a mama of two was “keep it simple.” For me, my priorities have always been simple: family, work, school, fitness/yoga, home, and well then beauty. Yep, a beauty routine has always been last on my list of to do. I’m definitely not one of those girls who get up early to get ready first. I meditate, do yoga in my pjs, then cook, sit at the table to eat with my daughters, and stare out the window. It’s the simplest way of taking back the day, to nourish your body and mind first. My morning routine takes less than fifteen minutes and I can do it with a baby wrapped on my body, while dancing in the kitchen with a toddler. I’m that crazy happy morning person; the one that makes up silly songs about every transition, that were once used to get little ones ready – I now use them for my own amusement.

You can say minimizing my routine, maximized the moments of joy I get to relish in everyday.

So here’s a mantra to share:

What can you minimize to maximize on in the present moment?

This doesn’t have to be a material thing. It could be as simple as leaving the clothes in the dryer over night instead of folding them to enjoy coloring with your kids. Or running one less errand and taking a walk, enjoying nature by verbally acknowledging it.

I would love nothing more than to hear how you use this mantra throughout the week. Please leave your comments and be sensitive to truths and experiences of others who share in this space. We are in this together, one experience at a time!