10 Simple Truths to Cut the Stress Out of Life

Life undeniably has a way of becoming a whirlwind at times. Add a family and a full-time job into the mix, and you've got a EF-5 tornado on your hands! Some weeks, it seems like smooth sailing and you pride yourself on your ability to multi-task and kick butt at life; other days, it feels like being trapped under a waterfall, gasping for air. Because of life's marvelous curve balls that inevitably test our will, sometimes it's not a matter of eliminating all stress, but learning to manage it and prepare ourselves for the impending rough waters.

A few weeks ago, I was enjoying a relaxing family vacation with my sweet son at the beach. Life couldn't have been more serene: we started our mornings off with sunrise yoga, took leisurely strolls along the shore collecting seashells, enjoyed daily arts & crafts and napped together every day. When we returned home to our usual routine, both Rylan and I were so out-of-whack with our schedules that it was causing him to feel frustrated and lash out and in turn, I wasn't able to process the effect that this normal toddler behavior was having on me amidst my mad scramble to catch up on my workload from my time away. We were both hitting a wall and I knew I had to do something quickly. I started putting my mindfulness reading into effect and came up with a simple list of guidelines to help combat some of the normal stressors that come with this beautiful gift called life.

1. Take time to do 15 minutes of yoga in the morning and 15 minutes at the end of the day to wind down. Not only does yoga stretch and work my muscles and limbs, but it gives me mental clarity and inner peace. 
2. Try to refrain from eating in the car. I used to always scarf down my breakfast in the car on the way to work but I realized that it only fueled that "go go go" mentality. Now I take time to sit down and eat, even if for only 5 minutes.
3. Take yourself out to eat on a lunch break at least once a week. Many of us (especially parents) never get a moment to ourselves to decompress. Give yourself that time to reflect and treat yourself, without the kids. 
4. Keep fresh flowers around the house. I cannot emphasize enough the wonders that a blooming bouquet on the kitchen table does for my soul.
5. Take a shower and wash your face before bedtime. Sometimes the days weigh so heavily on us, it's important to wash away the old day in preparation for the new.
6. Prep the night before. Whether it's packing kids lunches or ironing work clothes, the less you have to do in the morning, the less hectic your morning will be.
7. Enjoy family dinners! Not only will it give you something to look forward to all day, but it is quality family time and that is priceless!
8. Invest in a quality air purifier. Reactions to invisible allergens can cause mental fog and poor air intake (leading to fatigue). Air purifiers (including plants like ferns) will cleanse your living space in no time.
9. Limit your time on the scale. Nothing is worth the anxiety of constantly weighing yourself every morning. Go by how your body feels and how your clothes fit and check in on your weight once a week
10. Keep your sink free of dirty dishes! My anxiety levels sky rocket when I come home to a sink full of dishes or if that is the last thing I see before I go to bed. It's just one little thing to ease your mind.

I have also learned that sometimes anxiety can be caused by a deficiency of some sort. I started taking the non-essential amino acid called L-Tyrosine (supplement) and have felt my energy levels skyrocket, my anxiety levels plummet and I am hoping to boost my under-active thyroid as well! If you are feeling general lethargy and fatigue, check with your physician or naturopathic doctor to see what natural remedies would work best for you!

Call of the Wild: Mourning the Majestic Harambe

If you have any access to internet or television, or are even within earshot of my passionate rants in the breakroom concerning this issue, I am positive you have heard about the tragic death of Harambe, the 17 year old Silverback gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo. I know that the internet is ablaze with differing accounts of the incident and fired up advocates [for both Harambe's life and the child/family affected by this] are getting embroiled in this debate.

I am certainly not here to assert my fierce opinions (I have been consumed by this story since I first saw it all over my newsfeed Sunday morning) and I am not in the frame of mind to argue with the people saying, "What if it was your child?" This blog is about positivity and I can save my opinions to torture my coworkers with during my lunch break. Let's just take a minute to remember a gentle life that was lost. Rest in peace, handsome Harambe. You will forever stay in our hearts and minds. 

On a side note, I have heard an outcry of people saying, "But what about all the other causes, why are we focusing on this?" No. Let yourself feel the passion from whatever you choose to advocate for and go with it, be the change in the world. Think of the awareness for endangered species (or whatever your cause may be) that your involvement can foster. It doesn't matter what your passion is focused on, but do something productive with it and change humanity! It is not our responsibility to compare causes and tragedies in the world, but to harness the fire inside of each of us to facilitate change, step by step. Positivity in the world does not happen overnight but HOORAY YOU for igniting the spark that just may be the first step. Even if I don't share the same beliefs, I still support your enthusiasm wholeheartedly. 

Post Memorial Day Weekend Woes? Beat the Burger Blues with a Tangy Watermelon Avocado Salad

It's Tuesday morning and barreling around the corner comes the emotional “hangover” that comes with the acceptance that you are going back to your routine life after a blissful 3-day Memorial Day Weekend…I was dropping my son off at school this morning and as he sat down at the little breakfast nook, he locked his fingers with mine and said, “Best friends, momm-ay.” I felt my eyes well up with tears knowing that our perfect time together of splashing in the pool, playing Bocce ball and making campfire cones was coming to an end (even though we just planned our weekend wilderness getaway to the Pocono Mountains for late June!).

We spent the weekend at my parents’ house, as their community has a luxurious pool, spa and ice cream bar (err…for the kids, right?). Rylan loved sampling all of our ice creams and playing in the fountain at the shallow end of the pool. In the evenings after we grilled our dinner, we took waffle cones and filled them with marshmallows, chocolates, berries and nuts; wrapped them in foil and tossed them on the grill for a few minutes—Campfire Cones! Be forewarned because the undercarriage of the cone is prone to getting charred—but if you keep a watchful eye on them, the combination is ooey gooey amazingness! I especially delighted in the melted dark chocolate with the blackberries.

The relentless May sun began to do quite a number on my delicate and newly homed peach verbenas and royal purple salvia buds. I ended up venturing to the garden market for the fourth time in a week, bright and early on the morning of Memorial Day in search of a leafy banana plant to shade my
parched plants. The fabulous attendant scoffed at the thought of the poor banana plant scorching in the sun, and sent me home with none other than my absolute favorite plant in the world—a tiny Meyer lemon tree. The Meyer lemon is a phenomenon from China, brought back by Frank Nicholas Meyer in the early 1900’s. It bears similarities to both a traditional lemon and a mandarin orange, and is sweeter and less tart than the lemons we find on the rim of our iced tea. They contribute to tangy cocktails and your mama’s lemon bars will pack a punch at the next Memorial Day BBQ if you use Meyer lemons! Stay tuned as my little tree begins to yield fruit, and we will get into all the joys of making Meyer lemon soaps and curds (and perhaps, a very berry Meyer lemon trifle as well)!

Speaking of tantalizing food—my, oh my were there some amazing dishes churned out this Memorial Day Weekend! My favorite epicurean delights were simple grilled basil & lime grilled shrimp kabob,

tangy strawberry and spinach salad with walnuts; and a mixture of diced watermelon, tomato, avocado, cucumber, balsamic vinaigrette and fresh herbs. 

For the Salad:
1 pack of grape tomatoes, in assorted colors, cut in half
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 cup 3/4-inch-cubed red seedless watermelon chunks
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

For the Dressing:

1 tablespoon chopped mixed fresh herbs, in any combination: basil, tarragon, chives, cilantro, lemon thyme
1/4 teaspoon coriander seed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Assemble chopped ingredients in large bowl. In separate bowl, mix balsamic, olive oil, coriander seed, and herbs/seasonings and drizzle over the chopped ingredients and gently toss.

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Three-day weekends are a fantastic opportunity to spend rare quality time with your loved ones while enjoying outdoor fun in the sun, but it's also a great time to really, truly feel the gratitude in the depths of our souls toward those who have suffered for us to have those freedoms (and those who continue to sacrifice so that we can maintain our privileges). Carve out time to reflect on where you are in this moment, hopefully with food on your tables and joy in your hearts, and know that you are so very loved--and return that infinite love to others. They say the truest concept of "enlightenment" is to be able to look up at the sky and want nothing more from life than to be where you are; to feel the absence of desire or suffering. Let's all strive to feel a fraction of that calm and content, and project our positivity onto those around us. You are enough.