How are you when someone recommends a book? Do you listen or read your books? I read a lot and have several books on my bookshelf that I tend to read at some point. The books I read are self-improvement, spiritual, and art books.

This past month I have read three, well listened to through my Audible App. I got the app when I wanted to simplify my traveling. Since my husband and I travel more and take only a personal carry-on, I don’t like the extra weight of books. I genuinely love it. Plus it is helping with having less clutter in my home. Win-win!

Here are the books I have consumed with a short and simple review.

The Joy of Well-Being
In this empowering and accessible collection of health and wellness advice, the co-founders of mindbodygreen challenge our definition of self-improvement by revealing what a healthy lifestyle looks like at the fundamental level—and how it’s not what we think.

I love that they are health and fitness coaches who look honestly at the complicated wellness world to give you simple tips for living a better lifestyle. I found myself laughing out loud at times. I walked away inspired and full of joy.

​My next read was Enchantment.

If you have ever felt overwhelmed, annoyed, or just plain tired of social media gossip, the news, and in consideration of others, you need to read Enchantment. The author provides a light and thoughtful way to navigate today’s world.

As someone who likes to see optimism in everything and stay away from darkness, I found this book comforting and inspiring.

​My last read for the month was The Highly Sensitive Person.

Can I say oh my gosh?! As someone sensitive, shy, empath, and introverted (at times), I connected with this book instantly. This book helped me identify and adore the person I am (well, I already love who I am). Still, hearing that others identify with these personality traits comforts me.

For years, people have told me that I need to step out of fear or get out there and live more when I have been doing a fine-ass job at it. I have always driven my path, but I wish I had this book earlier.  

If you have ever been called or identified as being sensitive, shy, empath, or introverted, you read this book!

If you have a recommendation for a self-improvement or spiritual book please let me know. I am ready to line up my next couple of books.

​Happy reading!

June is one of my favorite months. Not only is it my birthday month, but it's the official start of summer. 

My husband and I recently got back from beautiful Sedona, Arizona. We had already seen the Grand Canyon when we went to Nevada last year, but the views in Sedona are breathtaking. This time my husband took his drone and got some incredible photos.

Our goal is to get away a minimum of three times a year. We have worked long and hard over the past fifteen years, and it's our time to travel and see all 50 states. And when we say all 50 states, it's not just passing through; it is spending time in each state sightseeing.

I used to have so much anxiety when traveling I even had prescribed medication to relax me before a flight. But I never let that fear stop me from traveling. As an empathetic person (aka sensitive, shy, however you want to label it), it goes with the territory. But I have learned to manage that simply by doing and learning. Now I strive to make my flight as simple as I can.

It starts with packing. We started with having two carry-ons and our personal bag. That went down to one checked bag we shared and only our personal bags. We are only doing our personal bags for this next trip we have planned. The places we stay are resorts. The rooms include a living room, kitchen, washer-dryer, and bedroom. On this trip, we washed our clothes and realized we only needed some of the clothes we had brought. If there is anything we want to buy and get back, we will ship it to our home.

Continuing with packing, I packed our suitcases with our vacation clothes and toiletries. They stay packed all year round. Of course, I refresh them from time to time, but for the most part, we keep it simple. And with this next trip, only pack a personal bag. We only pack one outfit, a bathing suit, and of course, what we are wearing. Easy-peasy. As my husband always says, there are stores everywhere. If we forget something, we go out and buy it!

Years ago, I would pack two magazines and two books to read. Most of the time, I would even look at them. This year I downloaded Audible and listened to two books while in Sedona. I read The Joy of Well-Being and Enchantment. I loved both books. There is never a bad read because I always get something out of it. I listened to most of it was during the flight to and from. Even now I am listening to my new book while driving or sitting and watching my grandson play sports. I put the link below if you are interested.

​We will book first-class seating for our next flight and moving forward (any flight over three hours). My husband is a big guy, so he must sit by the window or aisle seat, which generally leaves me in the middle. He would give up his heart for me in a minute to make me comfortable (such a sweetheart), but I won't do that to him. We both figured that if we were spending money on vacation, that should include airplane seating. I have never flown first class and cannot wait to experience that. First to board, first to get off, only having our personal bag and more room to sit comfortably. I am beyond delighted.

Now those who know me are asking about my planner. Do I bring my planner with me? Yes, of course, I do. But I downsized this year from an A5 and moved into a traveler's notebook. I even brought stickers with me and used them every day while traveling, and I still love them. I am loving the simplicity of a smaller planner. I'm doing a video talking about my planners and will be uploaded on my YouTube channel if you want to check it out.

If I were to advise anyone about traveling and packing, it would be this; you are traveling to enjoy and experience a different location. Leave the stress behind, do yourself a favor, and pack as lightly as possible. Rethink the things you think you need. Pay attention to what you use the next time you go on vacation. On one of my trips, I only took out the things I used and left them out. I couldn't believe the number of items I brought still left in the suitcase I didn't use. Life is short, so live a life you love and record those memories!

Drone footage of me walking to the pool early in the morning. Well, actually on my way to the hot tub!

The Process of Letting Go

My 2023 word has been redefined. Generally, I would rush to determine what that meant and get it done. But this year, I am letting it flow. A considerable part of that is letting go.

As you know, I have let go of my WEWN business and the never-ending to-do list. Even though my days are packed with opportunities and responsibilities, it is nice to wake up and let the day unfold instead of the "to-do list" taking priority.

Some days start off early, taking care of my four-legged clients. Other days don't start until after 3:00 pm when I care for my grandkids. So it's a beautiful mix.

Am I retired? No. I am still an entrepreneur making money but in a more straightforward way. It has allowed me more free time to do the things that matter most to me or do something I have neglected for a while, like gardening.

I am still letting go of clutter and only surrounding myself with things that bring me joy. I have a lot of stuff. I have a lot of generational chaos. Plus, we are finishing up all the remodeling projects.

I am loving the process of self-discovery. I love being present and enjoying nature. I laugh more, but the biggest thing I have truly enjoyed is listening to my inner voice! It has dissolved a lot of anxiety for me.

Believe me, there is still more discovery to do. I have let go of clothes, household objects, business books, kids' toys, and kitchen stuff. I have unsubscribed to emails, stopped monthly memberships, trimmed my budget, and am mindful of what I am spending my money on. It takes time. There is still much more decluttering and letting go I need to do.

Until next time.

Happy April! I cannot believe we are already in month four. Seriously, where does the time go?

I wanted to give an update since deciding to let go of my Women Empowering Women in November. Since there has been so many questions, I decided to tackle them all here. Do I miss it? I don't. I do miss the people who made up the community, but I don't miss the work of creating events.

It has been a slow but joyous process of unfollowing, unsubscribing, and removing myself from the people and businesses that no longer align with my current path.

What is my current path? I spend a reasonable amount of time assisting my daughter with her property management business and watching and playing with my grandkids. They are growing up so fast. As I get older, I am truly aware of my blessings and being present as much as I can.

I have been spending time getting my house back in order. After spending three years caring for a 3,000-square-foot co-working facility, I haven't had time to play house. So instead, I have been decluttering, organizing, deep cleaning, rearranging, and caring for my plants.

I am looking forward to the spring so I can return to the gardens I have neglected for so long. I can see where leaving my husband to take care of that; I now have certain plants that are no longer coming up or just gone. I already have over 1000 seeds that I will plant inside to get ready to transfer outside. Clive will even build me a couple of raised beds for the vegetables I will be growing.

I have also been spending as much time as possible doing creative journaling and mixed media art. I make sure that I carve out a couple of hours each day doing something creative, and I am having a blast! After being asked to make a few creative journals (junk journals) and mixed media art pieces and having so much excellent feedback, I have decided to start selling my artwork, journals, and junk journal ephemera.

I will sell artwork canvas and boards locally at this time. In addition, I will sell my creative journals, artwork prints, vintage ephemera, and digital ephemera virtually on my website. The launch date for available purchases will be May 1, 2023.

How am I making money? It's a variety of things, such as virtual services. Stuff I do for PINC. I have a few clients for whom I write newsletters; I wrote a couple of grants, policy and procedure updates, and website design and updates.) I also have a couple of dog-sitting and house-sitting gigs at the moment.

My word for 2023 is to redefine, which I do every day. If there is something I don't like, then I don't do it. An example of this is when I started to do an online Unpack Your Stash class on Zoom. The class was all about using your supplies and taking the time to create. I loved doing the class but quickly realized I didn't want to do monthly scheduled events anymore, so I stopped.

I plan on having a few local creative events, and I already have a collaboration event I will announce next week.

How am I staying in touch with the world? I do connect and meet locally with some of the WEW community. But there are still so many women I have yet to schedule with. I post on social media (Facebook and Instagram) as much as possible. I am working on consistently uploading creative videos (planner flip-throughs, she shed updates, plan with me videos, vintage haul videos, and creative journaling tips.)

How is your health? It's okay. HA! I discovered I have a leaky heart valve, which explains so much. I most likely have had it at birth (long story, but I know this is true.) I have ignored the health protocol my naturopathic doctor has recommended (she wouldn't be happy.) So much so that my knee and foot pain has returned. That is my body's telling me I overeat dairy, gluten, and sugar.

What's on my plate for the next couple of months? Making my health a priority, I am speaking for a women's group; I have a collaboration event that will include my artwork. In addition, I am working on becoming certified in Animal First Aid and CPR, getting ready to launch my virtual store on my website, uploading two videos a week on my YouTube channel, and booking my birthday vacation to Sedona.

I love the journey I am on.

Forever grateful.

Redefine is my word for 2023. If you have been reading my blog posts, you know how I chose this word.

Lately, I have been thinking about adding more creativity to my daily life and sharing it with my family, friends, and community on social media without feeling like work. That has been my hang-up for a while now.

I have recently been putting time into cleaning and rearranging my house. I sent a few photos to family and friends, and one comment was, “I thought you were showing me photos from a magazine; I didn’t realize this was your house!” 
Then another statement was, “this is your calling; you should be offering staging or interior design.”

When it comes to decorating, I like to use what I have. I shop from different rooms of my house and see how I can make it work in another. I have always done this my entire life. I like the immediate transformation and repurposing of things. That is probably why I like thrifting.
​
A few days later, as I was journaling, sitting quietly, and listening, I heard, “define your unique creativity.” So this is what I wrote; planning, organizing, listening, ability to know what I know, and painting.

Then I heard, “go deeper, write down examples.” This is what I wrote;

• The ability to make a room feel cozy and comfortable using what I have
• creating a planner that is fun and inviting by using art and supplies I have
• organizing my things in a space that is visually appealing to me
• designing a home that I don’t stress over because I have dogs, cats, and grandchildren
• my more profound connection to animals and nature
• my ability to adapt quickly to life
• my ability to know what is suitable for me and what isn’t when I slow down and pay attention
• creating art on a soulful level
• to notice things daily that most people don’t even see or observe
• to laugh at the small stuff
• to find beauty wherever I am at the moment

Let me tell you when that ah-ha moment hits you, it is simply divine. But, unfortunately, I got hung up on how to create and share “certain things” instead of embracing ALL of myself.

You might be reading this and thinking, duh!

It was a process I needed to go through. The universe allows me the time to play, discover, and grieve my closing chapter and Helps me to honor my creativity and redefine the next chapter of my life.  

All the answers are within. Are you ready to listen?

Hello 2023

I love the start of a new year. It has been a tradition since I was a teenager to sit down on New Year’s Eve, find a comfy spot, grab my journal, planner, and magazines and plan out the upcoming year.

My tradition continues but with a few updates. First, I set an intention, light a candle, get in my comfy spot and surround myself with my animals. Next, I grab my journal, planner, stickers, and laptop. Next, I do journaling, create lists, and follow up by searching for images on Pinterest.

I then spend a few hours sitting, planning, dreaming, and enjoying the process I created so many years ago.

The only thing that has changed is I no longer watch the countdown on TV. Now let’s be honest, I am getting older, so the chances of me being awake at the stroke of midnight haven’t been my priority for the past few years. Although, even when I have fallen asleep, I managed to wake up just in time to bring in the new year before nodding off for the night.

I no longer host New Year parties or attend them. Instead, I prefer a cozy night at home with my husband and animals and do what I love to do; plan and create.

As I step into 2023, I want to remember that. I want to create a life I love living. I want to be present, enjoy life, and not rush through it.

• I want to read the books I purchased currently sitting on my shelf.
• I want to use and share the overwhelming amount of craft and planning supplies I have gathered over the years.
• I want to spend more time with my grandchildren and document their lives.
• I want to spend more time playing and being with my dog Bailey.
• I want to travel more with my husband and start making time to create memories with him.
• Finally, I want to make my home cozy and comfy and get back to gardening.

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I want to be purposeful with my time and spend it wisely doing what matters most, and I don’t want to let go of the people, places, and things that are not worth it.

So 2023, here I come!

As 2022 draws near to the end, I find myself in a different space than last year. I mean more of an internal feeling about the future. It's weird.

Last year when I was planning my goals and finding my word for the year, it was based on my business and community. I created content you would expect a business coach, networker, or leader to perform. That is true for all entrepreneurs. And even though I am still those things, they are not leading my choices or decisions for 2023.   
I allowed those titles to lead and be my identity and how I would show up in the world. Now that I am letting go of Women Empowering Women, being a business coach and go-getter, and leading networking meetings, I am in a much different space preparing for the following year.

When most people let go of a business or job, they have something that takes its place. But, yes, even though I have something taking its place, it is not the same. It may be because I am letting go of a business where I made all the decisions to now assisting my daughter in her company. 

For the first time, I am creating my goals and word of the year around me, what I want to do every day, spiritual me. Don't get me wrong, I include personal goals every year, but they were always directed and defined by my business. Would things have been different if I had led with my personal goals first?

I do love this space I am in. My thoughts and reflections are more profound. I have let go of clutter, people, places, and things. My relationships are more substantial. I am more present. I don't have time for other people's bullshit or self-delusions that they are trying to convince the world of. I'm tired of the same-old people, teaching the same old stuff, trying to overcome their same-old problems. But, unfortunately, social media is a breeding ground for that.

As for the New Year, I know that my word is "redefine." I am redefining my next chapter and how I want to live my life simply and creatively.  

My goals are simple;

• Continue to purge people, places, and things that no longer serve me.
• Embrace and learn the things that interest me and allow me to connect spirituality more deeply.
• Creativity document the moments that matter most.
• Do something daily that my future self is proud of.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post.

Wishing you the merriest Christmas and the brightest New Year.

Until next time.

The response to my announcement of closing Women Empowering Women Now has been heartwarming. Women I haven’t heard from in a very long time told me how much they looked up to me, were inspired by me, and were genuinely excited to see what I do next.

I even had a few women tell me how sad they were. But, on the other hand, even a few said I inspired them to look at their life because they need to change.

It has been a wonderful experience so far, letting go. Closing down websites, and email addresses, unsubscribing from memberships and subscriptions, changing my social media profiles, and unfollowing people that no longer serve me (you know, the ones you only follow because of the industry you are in.)  IT FEELS SO GOOD!

As Thanksgiving 2022 comes to a close, I am thankful for my family, friends, and community. However, I know this is not the end but the beginning of a new chapter.

​I did it! I finally announced that I am forever closing the doors on Women Empowering Women Now, effective December 31, 2022. However, I wanted to tell it after the Expo officially.

There will be no more online or local networking meetings, conferences, interviews, expos, or business coaching. After seven years of putting together events, I look forward to ending that chapter.

I am grateful to all those who have supported me on this journey.

So many of you have asked me what I will be doing now. The short answer is family, travel, and paper crafting. But if you want more details, keep reading.

When I started WEWN, I was also doing business coaching. I also had a property management company called PINC Management that I passed on to my daughter so she could stay home to take care of her kids and bring in an income. I wanted her to have the same experience I had when she was a child; the freedom and flexibility to create your schedule.

Well, in the past two years, she has grown her business. So much that she officially needs help. So who better to help her with than me? The founder of the company!

My duties are very light; answering the phone, picking up mail, creating newsletters, following up with contractors, managing the website, and virtual assistant-type work. I will also watch my grandkids when needed (perks of working from home.)

I am also continuing with my paper crafting; planners, junk journals, traveler’s notebooks, mixed media, and memory keeping. It is a great time to document life! I will be turning this into a small business but enjoying the time to play and create for now.

Right now, I am enjoying my Unpack Your online Stash class that I do once a month, which encourages women to shop and unpack their stash.  

Other than that, my husband and I are making travel time a priority. Mini getaways, long weekends, and vacation time!

Now that the Expo is over, I look forward to spending Thanksgiving with my family and documenting the memories creatively!

Until next time.

I am finding more time to sit in silence. It’s incredible when you can sit in silence consistently and listen. For me, thoughts, decisions, and actions, all become clearer.

It’s interesting because I believe I follow the beat of my own drum. I have always been like this. It didn’t matter what class I took or the educational program; I applied what was essential or needed at the time and incorporated it.  

I’m not a follower.

Even when viewing social media, my bullshit meter is on full alert. Is it just me, or is everyone else tired of seeing the identical old posts from the same people in the same place they were a year ago talking about the same old problems?

Maybe I don’t have the patience anymore.

I may be getting older.

I may be growing spiritually.

I am happy with my journey and the changes I am making. Is everything perfect? Of course not. But I feel a sense of calm and peace like never before.

I have always been a very optimistic person viewing the glass as half full. But, of course, that has much to do with my upbeat daily mental health.

Silence has heightened my sense of me. It has allowed me to improve the things I want to improve. It has allowed me to focus more on what truly matters to me. It has allowed me to recognize the bullshit when I hear it sooner.

It has also allowed me to understand that I am more advanced in some spiritual areas than I thought. 

I don’t have to broadcast or teach upon it to prove who I am.

Silence has been able to help me connect with my higher self, and that’s all that matters.