tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69452864524855731762024-03-17T13:23:31.838-07:00Nia Marianiamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.comBlogger174125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-37811705526964383342024-03-17T13:22:00.000-07:002024-03-17T13:22:48.839-07:00Spring Musings: A love letter to brighter days ahead <p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTB9lTSvmVR5doLMCP2ryVEW31PJx7qYgk-6SxWOIMWeXzbxYXWrT0vVZoxpnwIkssXa9M8XkJzQrF1WTck-D9fAZrwywLMIh7YenFWIdHQL-xfsQFzwJLv81Z60-r9QI6bdiXOXR1aQ171rk7TDRFnsx7Pw-Xl_z7T_8zglqdTB1d9Lg5uvruz-kQAajo/s2000/spring%202024%20mood%20board.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTB9lTSvmVR5doLMCP2ryVEW31PJx7qYgk-6SxWOIMWeXzbxYXWrT0vVZoxpnwIkssXa9M8XkJzQrF1WTck-D9fAZrwywLMIh7YenFWIdHQL-xfsQFzwJLv81Z60-r9QI6bdiXOXR1aQ171rk7TDRFnsx7Pw-Xl_z7T_8zglqdTB1d9Lg5uvruz-kQAajo/w640-h512/spring%202024%20mood%20board.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Charter, Charter-roboto, Charter-local, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 19px;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also." - Harriet Ann Jacobs</i></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Charter, Charter-roboto, Charter-local, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 19px;"><br /></span></p><p>Spring is truly such a magical and enchanting season. The sunny, whimsical season completely breathes new life into me and restores my faith in myself when it comes to creating a life well-lived. For the past year, I've honestly felt so drained. Like I have nothing to give to myself and nothing
to give to others. Like all hope in a brighter future is gone because I'm too "behind" in life. And I hate that feeling; mainly because those thoughts are <b>LIES</b>. But also because I show up in my life and operate at a higher level when I'm navigating life with a positive mindset. And I hate that I lost that positive outlook for a prolonged period. </p><p> But lately…. I've felt a glimmer of my
old self. The person who’s excited about life. Who finds small ways to
romanticize even the most mundane parts of my day. The person who loves playing
dress up and sees the good in the world. The person who creates vision boards of the places I want to travel to and window shops for the outfits I'll wear during these travels. The person who is excited to connect with others and pour love into the world. I’ve missed that version of me. But with the overdue warmth of spring, I’m starting to get her back. And I couldn't be more excited. </p><p>This year has forced me to go through a cleansing era, so to speak. All the issues I'd been brushing under the rug are resurfacing, and I know this may sound masochistic, but I'm really grateful for the painful Spring Cleaning season I WAS experiencing (key word is was because we are speaking positivity over our lives today). </p><p>Because I'm releasing so much heavy energy, I'm feeling so much lighter this season. And that means I'm able to show up for myself in the ways I was previously neglectful. One annoying thing I've come to accept about myself is that for me to continue feeling <i><b>light, invigorated, and inspired</b></i>, I have to take really good fucking care of myself and find ways to make the smallest, "boring" parts of my day <i><b>euphoric and extraordinary.</b></i> Showing up like that is hard work for someone who has chronic depression (aka me), but moving through the rough emotions and being disciplined with how I take care of myself is always, always, always worth the extra effort. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I
still have a lot of work to do to get back into the mindset of wholeheartedly
believing in myself and in my dreams, and daydreaming about all the magical
muses spring brings is a huge part of that process. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Here
are a few of my monthly muses that are restoring my soul:</p>
<ol start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal">Colorful dresses <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Pastel tweed sets <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Bright Pilates outfits <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Alfresco lunches <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Lavender ice lattes<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Picnics in the park <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Long walks along the water <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Rooftop happy hours <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Open-towed shoes <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Trench coats <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Beautiful floral blooms <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Reading under a shady tree <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Outdoor paint & sip sessions<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Dancing under the stars <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Dressing up for Sexy stiletto heels dance classes and pole dancing classes </li><li class="MsoNormal">Relaxing in an outdoor pool during a spa trip <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Dirty martini breaks during shopping sprees <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Weekend getaways <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Podcast walks with fruit-infused water <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Garden dinner parties <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Outdoor lunch breaks <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Walking barefoot in the grass <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Sipping smoothies right after going to a workout class
with a friend <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Fresh, dewy makeup looks <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><o:p> Dressing up for outdoor first, second, and third dates (and hopefully, more once I find love)</o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal">Picking out fresh fruit and veggies at the farmer's market </li><li class="MsoNormal">Dancing the night away </li><li class="MsoNormal">Meandering through one of the beautiful neighborhoods I live near (Paulus Hook, Hamilton Park, West Village, Cobble Hill, Dumbo, Tribeca, Soho, Brooklyn Heights, Harlem)</li><li class="MsoNormal">Purging my wardrobe and belongings during a fun spring cleaning weekend </li><li class="MsoNormal">Discovering a waterfall on a beautiful hike </li></ol>The list goes on and on, but these are a few things I'm fighting for this spring. Life has a way of breaking our hearts, but there are so many beautiful things to cherish that make life worth living, and sometimes we just need a little reminder of how beautiful this life can be. <ol start="1" type="1">
</ol><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Shop my Spring Muses Edit below. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div class="shopthepost-widget" data-widget-id="5161723"><script type="text/javascript">!function(w,i,d,g,e,t){d.getElementById(i)||(element=d.createElement(t),element.id=i,element.src="https://widgets.rewardstyle.com"+e,d.body.appendChild(element)),w.hasOwnProperty(g)===!0&&"complete"===d.readyState&&w[g].init()}(window,"shopthepost-script",document,"__stp","/js/shopthepost.js","script")</script><div class="rs-adblock"><img src="https://assets.rewardstyle.com/production/62d7813ec09066f514c763022b83af912d77130b/images/search/350.gif" onerror='this.parentNode.innerHTML="Disable your ad blocking software to view this content."' style="width: 15px; height: 15px"><noscript>JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. Reactivate it to view this content.</noscript></div></div>niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-30538546141078544772023-11-26T15:22:00.000-08:002023-11-26T15:40:53.876-08:00Little Luxuries: My Favorite Press-On Nails <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjtki8oQO9xwrxcjdYY85_nn90MGy7BWEC63v6ONq1DF7JNN3UcwrlQ7KeawsNynyZt3jlBFEbseVb3jbSW5CT49K-CnHGnfw_uDDIZreAhcuw0KKDYIYpGOMeyqXgSQzk1qUNolb5zVkrjdUA0LPquV0O4jcIZEoM6POBAV4gQBB1cGC6jC7NlXyQ4yC/s1500/www.niamaria.org.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjtki8oQO9xwrxcjdYY85_nn90MGy7BWEC63v6ONq1DF7JNN3UcwrlQ7KeawsNynyZt3jlBFEbseVb3jbSW5CT49K-CnHGnfw_uDDIZreAhcuw0KKDYIYpGOMeyqXgSQzk1qUNolb5zVkrjdUA0LPquV0O4jcIZEoM6POBAV4gQBB1cGC6jC7NlXyQ4yC/w426-h640/www.niamaria.org.png" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>I am in full-on holiday mode! I love the energy and coziness that sweeps over our communities every November and December. The decor, festive food and drinks, holiday movies, curling up with a book and sipping hot chocolate by the fire, these are small luxuries that I truly cherish. </p><p>And now that I've fallen in love with dirty martinis (with extra olives), I just want to get dolled up and sip on one in a festive NYC bar. I adore dressing up. It makes me feel confident, and it makes every experience feel a tad more special. I love looking put-together and chic, but no outfit is complete without polished nails. And I just cannot justify paying $75+ to get a mani, especially when I get bored with nail styles so quickly. </p><p>That's why I swear by press-on nails. I get a million compliments every time I wear them so... why blow my budget on manicure upkeep when I can pay $10-$20 for an amazing set that lasts 2+ weeks? But the key to a successful press-on manicure comes down to two things: nail quality and glue quality. My three favorite brands are Kiss, OPI, and Glamnetics. </p><p>Kiss and OPI are available everywhere, and they have strong glue and fun styles. And you can't really beat the price! But Glamnetics reigns supreme. Their nails and glue are so strong, that I can actually open a can of soda with them... but they run about $20, so I try to stock up when they go on sale. I just feel like the baddest bitch when my nails look good, so this is a little luxury that I intend to keep for years to come. </p><p>I am so excited for my next holiday outing because I'm going to try out a new festive nail style, sip my extra dirty martini, and enjoy the small moments that make life magical. </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Manis & Martinis: Shop my favorite martini glasses and press-on nails! </p><p><br /></p>
<div class="shopthepost-widget" data-widget-id="5107058"><script type="text/javascript">!function(w,i,d,g,e,t){d.getElementById(i)||(element=d.createElement(t),element.id=i,element.src="https://widgets.rewardstyle.com"+e,d.body.appendChild(element)),w.hasOwnProperty(g)===!0&&"complete"===d.readyState&&w[g].init()}(window,"shopthepost-script",document,"__stp","/js/shopthepost.js","script")</script><div class="rs-adblock"><img onerror="this.parentNode.innerHTML="Disable your ad blocking software to view this content."" src="https://assets.rewardstyle.com/production/631e7472475ea72aa409815981dd5d854dd32cef/images/search/350.gif" style="height: 15px; width: 15px;" /><noscript>JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. Reactivate it to view this content.</noscript></div></div>niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-59346664425036625992023-10-06T15:45:00.001-07:002023-10-06T15:45:17.530-07:00Autumn Musings <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-e3d-2cyplkTnPMPDtkbMMC8ezpLCaHIIM6UG4APZ-f575AiirkaXS0-VzT9c9Sn1XI1mJQGYwrTVq7AfvzX9_nLsH_IHU6J3aUNiJVlHwQTYCxOv85MvEqC2We0gdHe4rGcgxTeAGewixVUgwaRVGag5HZCj963vjm1rJF5RBGfPw-S0UrgECwqi7NlY/s1002/fall%20quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1002" data-original-width="564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-e3d-2cyplkTnPMPDtkbMMC8ezpLCaHIIM6UG4APZ-f575AiirkaXS0-VzT9c9Sn1XI1mJQGYwrTVq7AfvzX9_nLsH_IHU6J3aUNiJVlHwQTYCxOv85MvEqC2We0gdHe4rGcgxTeAGewixVUgwaRVGag5HZCj963vjm1rJF5RBGfPw-S0UrgECwqi7NlY/w360-h640/fall%20quote.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p> There's nothing more magical than fall in the city. The changing color of the leaves, sun-drenched picnics, THE FASHION!!! The energy in the air is electrifying. I find inspiration in every corner, and I want to embrace the enchantment of fall... without spending a sh$t ton of money. And all the successful people reiterate that, in order to create the life you want, you must envision it first. So that's precisely what I'm doing.</p><p>I want my dreams to become my reality. And I've been standing in my own way... because part of me struggles to believe that the life I want is possible for me. Self-doubt really isn't serving me... like at all. So I'm finally going to listen to all the people I admire and spend the evening visualizing what I want this fall. After all, this is my favorite time of the year, and life is too precious to let another fall go by without indulging in all the charm that surrounds us. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQMliC27PzBTLPtFjAIxtMwXmgRP-qWeNyyWQdboKdjwSo8J6Vv6od4vg_mAU8YS9di8nFVCXLtQNHKdpvIiUI32RBS4Xfewi9XxKsDWB2hsXHr_NGmPQu27AWTC_lvdwRW7YARxJQ6xp8zBDucaOc39OTnLDNjBJwQtOhQ-pgSJQ8sLU2pE3qoqUjz-vc/s2000/Beige%20Aesthetic%20Pastel%20Collage%20Memories%20Moodboard%20Portrait%20Photo%20Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1333" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQMliC27PzBTLPtFjAIxtMwXmgRP-qWeNyyWQdboKdjwSo8J6Vv6od4vg_mAU8YS9di8nFVCXLtQNHKdpvIiUI32RBS4Xfewi9XxKsDWB2hsXHr_NGmPQu27AWTC_lvdwRW7YARxJQ6xp8zBDucaOc39OTnLDNjBJwQtOhQ-pgSJQ8sLU2pE3qoqUjz-vc/w426-h640/Beige%20Aesthetic%20Pastel%20Collage%20Memories%20Moodboard%20Portrait%20Photo%20Collage.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Things I love about Fall <span> </span></b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Cozy nights in with pizza, wine, cashmere socks, weighted blankets and fall movie/tv marathons </li><li>Candle-lit dinners with soulful music </li><li>Hot chocolate </li><li>Cinnamon rolls </li><li>Trench coats with mini dresses </li><li>Tall boots with mini skirts </li><li>Crunchy leaves beneath my feet </li><li>Jazz Clubs and dessert </li><li>Speakeasies </li><li>Chunky sweaters </li><li>Foliage hunting </li><li>Dressing up for the ballet or opera </li><li>Sunset happy hours </li><li>Sipping champagne by a roaring fireplace or fire-pit </li><li>Stoop decor </li><li>Sweaterdresses </li><li>Halloween Celebrations </li><li>Comic-Con </li><li>Fancy soups </li><li>Cozy bookstores with lounges </li><li>Dressing up and spending time at chic wine bars while listening to a live piano performance </li><li>Wine-tasting and vineyard hopping </li><li>Football tailgates </li><li>Thanksgiving food </li><li>Evening strolls </li><li>Pumpkin patches </li><li>Mulled wine </li><li>Blazers </li><li>Tweed jackets </li><li>Tights and Fishnet stockings </li><li>Trips to Sleepy Hollow and Salem, MA </li><li>Renting rowboats in Central Park </li><li>Alfresco dining at beautiful restaurants </li><li>Cacao color palates </li><li>Olive and tan clothes </li><li>Antique shopping on weekend trips away </li><li>Cute and intimate cottage trips </li><li>Renaissance faires </li><li>Camping </li><li>Scenic train rides </li><li>Fall festivals </li><li>Rewatching all the Halloween movies on Disney+</li><li>Gilmore Girls </li><li>Game nights with friends </li><li>Pumpkin-flavored everything </li><li>Apple picking </li><li>Apple cider </li><li>Haunted houses </li><li>Fall crafts </li><li>Hayrides </li><li>Bonfire parties </li><li>Corn mazes </li><li>Smores </li><li>Paint & Sip, Drink & Draw, Drink and Draft parties </li><li>Museum hopping </li><li>Farmers markets </li><li>Movies in the park </li><li>Harry Potter marathons </li><li>At-home date nights spent cuddling on the couch </li><li>Cozy blankets </li><li>Fall tablescapes </li><li>Costumes! </li><li>Seasonal nail art </li><li>Apartment fall/Halloween decor </li><li>Seasonal cocktails</li><li>Rooftop Happy hours </li><li>Berry and nudy-brown lipsticks </li><li>Fall foliage hikes </li><li>Farm-to-table dining upstate </li><li>Wellness retreats in the countryside </li><li>Farm visits </li><li>Reading by the fire </li><li>Dinner parties </li><li>Crisp mornings </li><li>Chilly nights </li><li>Old Hollywood movie marathons </li><li>Journaling under the stars </li></ul><p></p>niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-58244712817406146312023-08-10T18:33:00.002-07:002023-08-10T18:33:36.239-07:00Embracing My Failure To Launch: How I'm channeling my pain to push me forward<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhUZ1jJMG2T4bBVcvuAapV7DuJEHKagaIcH-I2Zsa2xo5gT0PSIbZnHFqR8hMg_rq7IPyV6z2yShmkOXVxO64mPVGhgztBhX_2WqsiL9H2c_czDz-92QA59cXIaXMSchvnUYiGk3to5DIHfZxQ-1M7_8DUF98bkUVFbzEBnpw0piHBLauPmFIZXj2CsWq/s4000/peter-thomas-FuzAR7joBJw-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2668" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhUZ1jJMG2T4bBVcvuAapV7DuJEHKagaIcH-I2Zsa2xo5gT0PSIbZnHFqR8hMg_rq7IPyV6z2yShmkOXVxO64mPVGhgztBhX_2WqsiL9H2c_czDz-92QA59cXIaXMSchvnUYiGk3to5DIHfZxQ-1M7_8DUF98bkUVFbzEBnpw0piHBLauPmFIZXj2CsWq/w426-h640/peter-thomas-FuzAR7joBJw-unsplash.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@lifeof_peter_?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Peter Thomas</a> </td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </p><p>I’m
going to keep this post simple and bittersweet. Mainly because I’m writing for
me today, and not to contribute anything monumental to the world (although I hope someone
can find this post relatable). But I like to keep it real, and the truth is, I’ve
been struggling. In what feels like every aspect of life. </p><p>I’ve been lying to myself and saying that I can handle life on my own when in reality, I want and need an intimate support system. I need deep connection, even though I sometimes find intimac tobe draining. Why, because life feels overwhelming right now. The state of humanity is overwhelming. And the idea of enduring one more emotion truly makes me thing I'll implode. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The daily stories I see/read on the news have brought on a decently strong episode of depression. I usually cry and spiral after seeing/reading about another traumatic
event. The news makes me question every aspect of my life (and humanity as a whole), and I'm truly starting to fear that there is more hate in the world than love.</p><p class="MsoNormal">But I don't want to live my life that way! I want to see the good in people, but I feel quite jaded. </p><p class="MsoNormal">I want to stay an informed citizen & help the causes I believe in,
but I'm having a hard time dealing with all the hate, pain, and trauma in
the world. There’s so much going on globally and locally. And I feel like a
terrible person for not dedicating my life to helping our planet and society
heal. </p><p class="MsoNormal">I feel guilty for wanting to pursue my dreams when the world is burning
all around us. But at the same time, my life is ultimately finite, and I want to
make it as beautiful, fun, and fulfilling as possible while I have the opportunity to do so. </p><p class="MsoNormal">The act of balancing
the grief I feel for the world while also pursuing my own version of happiness seems to get tougher and
tougher each day.</p><p class="MsoNormal">But the news isn't the only thing contributing to my existential crisis. The fear that I’ll never get married, will have to wait a decade to have
kids, and will have to raise them as a single parent because I'll need to select their father from a catalog at a sperm bank truly makes me lose my very fragile, burned-out mind. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And lastly, there is one ugly truth that has been haunting me all year. I hate admitting this, but I'm allowing my fear of change and failure to hold me back from creating an extraordinary career, love life, and lifestyle for myself. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> Looking in the mirror is hard, and I hate it! The irony in all of this is, I had to face these hard truths while traveling to beautiful destinations to be a bridesmaid in two weddings. There's nothing like being an overweight (my doctor's words, not mine, so don't come for me), </o:p>single bridesmaid in your late 20s, in two weddings... within 7 days of eachother, that will give you a brutal reality check. </p><p class="MsoNormal">If there’s anything
that can make a woman feel like a failure in life, it's being surrounded by other people in love who are achieving every milestone, all while your life continues to be one big shit show. Sometimes I think I'll fall into an abyss or collapse from the pain and loneliness that comes from realizing I'm lightyears away from creating the family I desperately desire.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That’s
the beauty of being a woman: we possess the emotional capacity to be blindly happy for the
people we love and celebrate them fully, while also battling depression and being terrified of staying stuck in this current phase of life. You can be so grateful to be
exploring a beautiful new city, and also carrying around crippling depression.
The emotional capacity we possess is truly unmatched.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The delusional story I’ve been telling myself (aka I can do bad all by
myself) came crashing down on my 8 hr plane ride back to NYC. I watched “Ingrid
goes west” and ended up quietly sobbing because I related to the main
character’s intense feeling of loneliness and her heart-breaking confession
that she feels hopeless and broken.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Although
I was quite embarrassed to have cried in public, I was so proud of myself for
immediately thinking, “Nia, if you’re not happy with the life you’ve created,
create the life you want. Put in the effort to build the career of dreams instead of watching 5 hrs of netflix each night! Put
in the effort to date so you can attract the right guy. Find a way to drastically
increase your income so you can look into a.) living alone in the NYC area and b.) buying an apartment like most of your
friends are doing. Freeze your eggs so you can stop freaking out about your biological clock! No one ever achieved their dreams by feeling sorry for
themselves.” Yay me for positive, constructive thinking!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Instead
of wasting time having a pity party this week, I’ve been telling myself these three
narratives.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">a.) Every painful situation in life is temporary. But the grass will never be greener unless I train my mind to seek the beauty out even in the heaviest of times.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">b.)
I know that my stagnation in life is solely based on my actions, well if we’re
being honest, inactions. I haven’t had the energy to do anything above
the bare minimum, and that is something I'm trying to forgive myself for. But since I made my mess, that means I’m in control and very capable of cleaning it up!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And
c.) suffering is optional. Obstacles, pain, grief, and problems are guaranteed
in life… but suffering? Well outside of extreme cases, suffering is usually
caused by us mentally beating ourselves up. And that’s a habit that we can all
break by accepting help and through deep reflection.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">So in closing, my little quarter-life crisis in the sky was
the exact pain push I needed to get off my arse and <b><i>leisurely hustle</i></b> for the
lifestyle and love life I want and deserve. Let’s see how extraordinary I can
make my little corner of the world in 5 months. Tatah for now hauxs. And thanks for spending a little piece of your day with me. Your support means everything to me. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1HiRjhqwZr0GzfGuERzFKeb1j7LrRVV4GhdE7UFWQjH0nqYgNeil87pwtnzoFuweE5UwQ8yu2qAgkscCDZpdBlwUNt0YpD1uK8aos3pLQOGAoEJU-nx4P1eIfyZqC2jCqXlBw5RJZw1xCHhW7Vq263HO1GwXVIafd7S-NTeOQa1wIexVglb5n95ngEnLW/s359/WithLove-cropped.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="359" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1HiRjhqwZr0GzfGuERzFKeb1j7LrRVV4GhdE7UFWQjH0nqYgNeil87pwtnzoFuweE5UwQ8yu2qAgkscCDZpdBlwUNt0YpD1uK8aos3pLQOGAoEJU-nx4P1eIfyZqC2jCqXlBw5RJZw1xCHhW7Vq263HO1GwXVIafd7S-NTeOQa1wIexVglb5n95ngEnLW/s320/WithLove-cropped.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><br /></p>niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-32785547810851382142023-06-19T18:01:00.002-07:002023-06-19T18:01:12.580-07:00Summer Musings <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVHbJoVfnsVxeP12zKuDP5wQovEgfnaFDr4T4xuFeuKmPG2eVmcpCoY9qn_k-qsUzM_AM3ULdD2x2fmVIQ1cgteiUL0FyMg79NA31ytAlgJwxyogs0Yb5pREJvOrPRyO9nPkPFwX1JIn5gJRxqCTthYjmufW38vUe3k0g9o_f4xMAKhBdwRu1zpANEs5T/s2240/Image%20(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2240" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVHbJoVfnsVxeP12zKuDP5wQovEgfnaFDr4T4xuFeuKmPG2eVmcpCoY9qn_k-qsUzM_AM3ULdD2x2fmVIQ1cgteiUL0FyMg79NA31ytAlgJwxyogs0Yb5pREJvOrPRyO9nPkPFwX1JIn5gJRxqCTthYjmufW38vUe3k0g9o_f4xMAKhBdwRu1zpANEs5T/w640-h360/Image%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzy1hN0Gl1MlA8hXQNPRquBJLV4S2x6faUH7j7tNZXN1idTPig1dGpx90i1oaMQsf-vqydpf73O9LlFVgb5eoBhiDHP_ELhcZrDjP0iIN7XN_LmJwIUxVW6t68rrCsyskiB7z1ws-81aBSSs2uOX2-nSHdeSZTlzGMLN8_vZILt7d7Fl0DZwZtT8drBHFn/s2000/Image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1334" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzy1hN0Gl1MlA8hXQNPRquBJLV4S2x6faUH7j7tNZXN1idTPig1dGpx90i1oaMQsf-vqydpf73O9LlFVgb5eoBhiDHP_ELhcZrDjP0iIN7XN_LmJwIUxVW6t68rrCsyskiB7z1ws-81aBSSs2uOX2-nSHdeSZTlzGMLN8_vZILt7d7Fl0DZwZtT8drBHFn/w426-h640/Image.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div><p>Sweet summer is upon us once again, and my top priority for the season is focusing on the here and now while being grateful for everything that is in my life. And let me tell you, I've been working hard to stay in an abundant mindset. I'm talking daily journaling, affirmation card readings, prayer sessions, and mental health workshops because everyone says consistency is key. And I hate to admit it.. but "they" are right. </p><p>So although my life is farrr from perfect, I am finding beauty in every single day I am blessed enough to walk this earth. There are so many small, frugal ways to add luxury into our lives - and for me, luxury leads to the feeling of abundance. </p><p>A Venti Camel Cream Ice Cold Brew coffee from Starbucks fills me with so much joy, especially when paired with an inspiring podcast and a long walk on the waterfront boardwalk in jersey city. </p><p>Cooking pasta while drinking an Aperol Spritz and enjoying the meal on my rooftop with a white table cloth and candles to set the ambiance. </p><p>Reading a juicy book under a shady tree in the park with a fresh bowl of fruit</p><p>Watching the sunset while I paint outside</p><p>These are some of my favorite ways to add luxury and get into a state of abundance. As I count down the days until my European getaway, I am adding sweet and simple traditions to my life. Because summer is meant to be thoroughly enjoyed. It's a season of adventure, wanderlust, and play. So cheers to acting up, acting out, and showing ourselves all the love we need. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvk2H6kcFmMfcmW9qIJO2RQ-GHVCGm78oyeFo-3pHObd87EF6DiQdj8oFgPra_EdJ1AlY-lT4WPsbC3FtgugpGQVbGMZTm9IGOp_GyouKkHady64oxQqcmGVKbMhwJC2mrRi_L3GtNXhOdrKCCy_IWNNQvznVpPvwQ3y0JeqEn2IkO21tFzIceFWEq1WY/s359/WithLove-cropped.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="359" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvk2H6kcFmMfcmW9qIJO2RQ-GHVCGm78oyeFo-3pHObd87EF6DiQdj8oFgPra_EdJ1AlY-lT4WPsbC3FtgugpGQVbGMZTm9IGOp_GyouKkHady64oxQqcmGVKbMhwJC2mrRi_L3GtNXhOdrKCCy_IWNNQvznVpPvwQ3y0JeqEn2IkO21tFzIceFWEq1WY/s320/WithLove-cropped.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-69902970629740895542023-02-04T10:01:00.002-08:002023-02-04T10:01:23.784-08:00February Monthly Muses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiHtlSMAGpMrURPqCEzg53Et6JqgV1AcXNhpCLgBBOm229X2dtiB04u4_tl8UrTuLsGkuyJkXwnep8c5BCVG9OqiKv48fomUdpMHDwe0dRM8RJOfYVWHZgtxirVdse9DPwa-HWKq2nv9BXe6w9kg1qfWiQUVtx-W27m9JkKdZbmsxBBEOpgrkOYpT3QA/s2000/Beige%20Neutral%20Mood%20Board%20Photo%20Collage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiHtlSMAGpMrURPqCEzg53Et6JqgV1AcXNhpCLgBBOm229X2dtiB04u4_tl8UrTuLsGkuyJkXwnep8c5BCVG9OqiKv48fomUdpMHDwe0dRM8RJOfYVWHZgtxirVdse9DPwa-HWKq2nv9BXe6w9kg1qfWiQUVtx-W27m9JkKdZbmsxBBEOpgrkOYpT3QA/w640-h512/Beige%20Neutral%20Mood%20Board%20Photo%20Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Oops.... I've gone months without posting on my site. Yikes! It's getting to the point where I feel like a freaking broken record. Consistency is HARDDD, especially when you're battling depression and anxiety. But as I am blessed to see another year around the sun, I am ready to make fewer excuses for my level of progress and instead be curious as to why I hold on to certain limiting beliefs and why I do (or don't do) certain things. That is one of the key components to experiencing fulfillment and happiness where we are now, while also staying motivated to pursue our aspirations. Because curiosity leads to questions. Questions lead to brainstorming. And brainstorming leads to problem-solving. So as we jump into the second month of 2023, I hope you show yourself kindness by being curious instead of judging yourself. </p><p>And now, on to the fun stuff! I've really enjoyed a slower start to the year. Work has been pretty busy, but I've been going out less and staying in more. And I've been relishing in more simple pleasures. Plus, when it is 6 degrees outside, it's pretty hard to have fomo, because there aren't many things that can compel me to leave my apartment when it's that cold outside. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Monthly Muses </i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><u>Green Goddess </u></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4QvUDDI20zm_7UYat3nyzscNoX49zDMQIziZgmPfGSnZd2eUqGuHBMSwov-MV-m3gFUtyow1h9dZFakW42Zqjb2h__ZztWsNpIlJYL2zYLkC22uAEGH2KIOQ_vPXWHh4YVzri_v42xDL8S4a7N1NrrDaV52IAeYIeAQxZN1jKc2vLJ2G3gJRUgJQvg/s2000/Green%20natural%20waterfall%20photo%20collage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4QvUDDI20zm_7UYat3nyzscNoX49zDMQIziZgmPfGSnZd2eUqGuHBMSwov-MV-m3gFUtyow1h9dZFakW42Zqjb2h__ZztWsNpIlJYL2zYLkC22uAEGH2KIOQ_vPXWHh4YVzri_v42xDL8S4a7N1NrrDaV52IAeYIeAQxZN1jKc2vLJ2G3gJRUgJQvg/w640-h512/Green%20natural%20waterfall%20photo%20collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></div><p></p><p>I am rapidly becoming obsessed with the color green, and I'd love to believe that my allure to this color is because my subconscious knows I'm stepping into a huge season of growth and flourishing. I am so excited to wear this dress out and about in NYC, along with a few other green enables I've curated. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotj-_yvphR6gaO4zlRTkQgRnO0RJz1cQ3Cnsp0F7QVYW4JC9th5oZbTliCg5hD-1v17JPmO7yjtwwlHQ_1VEe37hqiOL4nG5rqAhz7QR-fMvu19xHIiiApXjAGecoYjs8S2aF-FZPb_qJWaXTRCheeRB6Pu63ZulyOSnpmB7eaXQ1apzhMejBPruirw/s1024/MicrosoftTeams-image%20(39).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="576" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotj-_yvphR6gaO4zlRTkQgRnO0RJz1cQ3Cnsp0F7QVYW4JC9th5oZbTliCg5hD-1v17JPmO7yjtwwlHQ_1VEe37hqiOL4nG5rqAhz7QR-fMvu19xHIiiApXjAGecoYjs8S2aF-FZPb_qJWaXTRCheeRB6Pu63ZulyOSnpmB7eaXQ1apzhMejBPruirw/w360-h640/MicrosoftTeams-image%20(39).png" width="360" /></a></div><p> </p><div class="shopthepost-widget" data-widget-id="4937649"><script type="text/javascript">!function(w,i,d,g,e,t){d.getElementById(i)||(element=d.createElement(t),element.id=i,element.src="https://widgets.rewardstyle.com"+e,d.body.appendChild(element)),w.hasOwnProperty(g)===!0&&"complete"===d.readyState&&w[g].init()}(window,"shopthepost-script",document,"__stp","/js/shopthepost.js","script")</script><div class="rs-adblock"><img onerror="this.parentNode.innerHTML="Disable your ad blocking software to view this content."" src="https://assets.rewardstyle.com/production/fdae1c01db16b8245e43a3950cb533334dd5d9ab/images/search/350.gif" style="height: 15px; width: 15px;" /><noscript>JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. 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<p style="text-align: center;"><u>Fun Valentine's Day Nails </u></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlLbfyWC7k4oaocrrLPqRa1lzW9W5kgVcGWIJ-VdTHZCFw5UrySKTy6WUcwF2qkSa1-Q9MDXT-mgvosW0HgfpfbCC1Nt4SIaBiBIrvWgcVggS0mL-5EC7_1wvaEbIUCHbMcuI6bw1fC0Zm3gGj2qxEqZQ5OD3YvLj2nnt5skQBMaMrt7tpSapY0s_yw/s1024/MicrosoftTeams-image%20(38).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="729" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlLbfyWC7k4oaocrrLPqRa1lzW9W5kgVcGWIJ-VdTHZCFw5UrySKTy6WUcwF2qkSa1-Q9MDXT-mgvosW0HgfpfbCC1Nt4SIaBiBIrvWgcVggS0mL-5EC7_1wvaEbIUCHbMcuI6bw1fC0Zm3gGj2qxEqZQ5OD3YvLj2nnt5skQBMaMrt7tpSapY0s_yw/w456-h640/MicrosoftTeams-image%20(38).png" width="456" /></a></div><p>I haven't had fake nails in years but wow... I feel like a whole new boujee bitch! I feel so feminine and dainty! Who knew that an $8 amazon purchase could bring me sooooo much joy </p><div class="shopthepost-widget" data-widget-id="4937651"><script type="text/javascript">!function(w,i,d,g,e,t){d.getElementById(i)||(element=d.createElement(t),element.id=i,element.src="https://widgets.rewardstyle.com"+e,d.body.appendChild(element)),w.hasOwnProperty(g)===!0&&"complete"===d.readyState&&w[g].init()}(window,"shopthepost-script",document,"__stp","/js/shopthepost.js","script")</script><div class="rs-adblock"><img onerror="this.parentNode.innerHTML="Disable your ad blocking software to view this content."" src="https://assets.rewardstyle.com/production/fdae1c01db16b8245e43a3950cb533334dd5d9ab/images/search/350.gif" style="height: 15px; width: 15px;" /><noscript>JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. Reactivate it to view this content.</noscript></div></div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><u>Planning Porto, Portugal</u></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpp9HgQuPRITU39R09DB2W8BJiY8XKeDkipZSfwYzZyfaLomjG-RQA7Iq1-yBWBrWMeREQ-QWvAG9yZcCXpNwOqQGTPYxHGuTJB5jkw_Z7SlxfreY0E_vUDXHQ3JIT33Q_NWBidchATdM-A0vRQWrLi0qp7jj9r84WD0gfw-DeeD-86yhWTDmdFwjDUw/s2000/Green%20Light%20Brown%20Clean%20Grid%20Nature%20Photo%20Collage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1333" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpp9HgQuPRITU39R09DB2W8BJiY8XKeDkipZSfwYzZyfaLomjG-RQA7Iq1-yBWBrWMeREQ-QWvAG9yZcCXpNwOqQGTPYxHGuTJB5jkw_Z7SlxfreY0E_vUDXHQ3JIT33Q_NWBidchATdM-A0vRQWrLi0qp7jj9r84WD0gfw-DeeD-86yhWTDmdFwjDUw/w426-h640/Green%20Light%20Brown%20Clean%20Grid%20Nature%20Photo%20Collage.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><p>One of my good friends is getting married in Portugal this summer! We were living together when she started dating her fiance, and now I get to experience them saying "I do" in one of the most magical cities in the world! And because we were roommates in jersey city for multiple years, a ton of our mutual friends with be attending the wedding (including some of my best friends who now live around the globe). Let the outfit planning and excursion research begin!! </p><div class="shopthepost-widget" data-widget-id="4937652"><script type="text/javascript">!function(w,i,d,g,e,t){d.getElementById(i)||(element=d.createElement(t),element.id=i,element.src="https://widgets.rewardstyle.com"+e,d.body.appendChild(element)),w.hasOwnProperty(g)===!0&&"complete"===d.readyState&&w[g].init()}(window,"shopthepost-script",document,"__stp","/js/shopthepost.js","script")</script><div class="rs-adblock"><img onerror="this.parentNode.innerHTML="Disable your ad blocking software to view this content."" src="https://assets.rewardstyle.com/production/fdae1c01db16b8245e43a3950cb533334dd5d9ab/images/search/350.gif" style="height: 15px; width: 15px;" /><noscript>JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. Reactivate it to view this content.</noscript></div></div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><u>Weekend nights at home </u></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzuvlJrui_N6E94SjPm5NOzt9VEhryxFC-9l916LYb9WdfYQqqVTkGS80vWEdGe7xz53pwWgFfF5AojfEa2FowKecPpzqUOeNzXjJMB3BY-uDcDvJS5hj-8_EgRphKnl8AEjTRJKpxXGr_bY0kOhD1039oKF8KmXPdRFQy5jd-QRL6oKFZexzAlCYDNw/s6505/stories-v1rUvnVMMkM-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6505" data-original-width="4337" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzuvlJrui_N6E94SjPm5NOzt9VEhryxFC-9l916LYb9WdfYQqqVTkGS80vWEdGe7xz53pwWgFfF5AojfEa2FowKecPpzqUOeNzXjJMB3BY-uDcDvJS5hj-8_EgRphKnl8AEjTRJKpxXGr_bY0kOhD1039oKF8KmXPdRFQy5jd-QRL6oKFZexzAlCYDNw/w426-h640/stories-v1rUvnVMMkM-unsplash.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><p>I told yall that I was going out less and staying in more. I injured my foot the other week, so I had to skip some workouts to rest. That included missing my Friday pole class and saying no to a night of dancing with friends at a local bar last Friday. I took this mandatory rest time as an opportunity to cook a fancy meal, give myself a valentine's day manicure, and batch-film fashion content. It's some of the most fun I've had in ages.. and I didn't spend a dime! </p><div class="shopthepost-widget" data-widget-id="4937656"><script type="text/javascript">!function(w,i,d,g,e,t){d.getElementById(i)||(element=d.createElement(t),element.id=i,element.src="https://widgets.rewardstyle.com"+e,d.body.appendChild(element)),w.hasOwnProperty(g)===!0&&"complete"===d.readyState&&w[g].init()}(window,"shopthepost-script",document,"__stp","/js/shopthepost.js","script")</script><div class="rs-adblock"><img onerror="this.parentNode.innerHTML="Disable your ad blocking software to view this content."" src="https://assets.rewardstyle.com/production/fdae1c01db16b8245e43a3950cb533334dd5d9ab/images/search/350.gif" style="height: 15px; width: 15px;" /><noscript>JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. Reactivate it to view this content.</noscript></div></div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><u>All the murder mystery books, tv shows & movies. </u></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLF3E4PfRVM0A0wWNgTAIrBSkMsDJo1J7H_Dwoj1sJsuZmb01IhNc3qZWvqHxrrcoNg7834EEhdA2gsa1F4b0F8vl72GgWbhKB-3weNExQrLx-5RZ6ZIavgf4N55FCtDBAg27pW_CzIvxvmnWQkt3j30pC-itszq1NPgeqdj-qpqZQBz0KXokGHII_Q/s4417/tobias-tullius-0SMBHXgCibM-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4417" data-original-width="2935" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLF3E4PfRVM0A0wWNgTAIrBSkMsDJo1J7H_Dwoj1sJsuZmb01IhNc3qZWvqHxrrcoNg7834EEhdA2gsa1F4b0F8vl72GgWbhKB-3weNExQrLx-5RZ6ZIavgf4N55FCtDBAg27pW_CzIvxvmnWQkt3j30pC-itszq1NPgeqdj-qpqZQBz0KXokGHII_Q/w426-h640/tobias-tullius-0SMBHXgCibM-unsplash.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">I watched Knives Out 1 and 2 last month and became obsessed with the murder mystery genre again. I then proceeded to binge-watch 3 seasons of Nany Drew (there's a supernatural twist that makes the show so so good!). And now I'm listening to The Silent Patient on Audible and reading Rock, Paper, Scissors while I'm on the train. What should I add to my list next?</p><div class="shopthepost-widget" data-widget-id="4937658"><script type="text/javascript">!function(w,i,d,g,e,t){d.getElementById(i)||(element=d.createElement(t),element.id=i,element.src="https://widgets.rewardstyle.com"+e,d.body.appendChild(element)),w.hasOwnProperty(g)===!0&&"complete"===d.readyState&&w[g].init()}(window,"shopthepost-script",document,"__stp","/js/shopthepost.js","script")</script><div class="rs-adblock"><img onerror="this.parentNode.innerHTML="Disable your ad blocking software to view this content."" src="https://assets.rewardstyle.com/production/fdae1c01db16b8245e43a3950cb533334dd5d9ab/images/search/350.gif" style="height: 15px; width: 15px;" /><noscript>JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. Reactivate it to view this content.</noscript></div></div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><u>Games Games Games </u></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59kpquIXkxNLOeF4z6JQRQ-IfDtQFSpWfVHAx7nwtSCWXvQHEAse2QxX4YttreNg-8MSY-QSNq6n_LjnVprpUX_QxgajFkpKchpToyn02NTxO5CXwk3GhHCuvPMMda8fdVLAfVEtKdYD0VR-lq8DIYEq0ajLn9ZSThu1rAQbqaNEpVx-uDW9nlHqHbQ/s5184/noemie-cauchon-Y_bpePELbPo-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59kpquIXkxNLOeF4z6JQRQ-IfDtQFSpWfVHAx7nwtSCWXvQHEAse2QxX4YttreNg-8MSY-QSNq6n_LjnVprpUX_QxgajFkpKchpToyn02NTxO5CXwk3GhHCuvPMMda8fdVLAfVEtKdYD0VR-lq8DIYEq0ajLn9ZSThu1rAQbqaNEpVx-uDW9nlHqHbQ/w640-h426/noemie-cauchon-Y_bpePELbPo-unsplash.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><u><br /></u><p></p><p>Why did I wait 29 years to play shuffleboard!!?? I went two weekends ago for the first time and had a blast! After venturing out to Brooklyn, I met up with a few friends in FiDi to go to the swanky lounge Recreation to grab drinks, play board games, and skeeball. I just can't enjoy basic bars now.... the BAR has been set too high now (I can never resist an opportunity to use a pun). </p><div class="shopthepost-widget" data-widget-id="4937660"><script type="text/javascript">!function(w,i,d,g,e,t){d.getElementById(i)||(element=d.createElement(t),element.id=i,element.src="https://widgets.rewardstyle.com"+e,d.body.appendChild(element)),w.hasOwnProperty(g)===!0&&"complete"===d.readyState&&w[g].init()}(window,"shopthepost-script",document,"__stp","/js/shopthepost.js","script")</script><div class="rs-adblock"><img onerror="this.parentNode.innerHTML="Disable your ad blocking software to view this content."" src="https://assets.rewardstyle.com/production/fdae1c01db16b8245e43a3950cb533334dd5d9ab/images/search/350.gif" style="height: 15px; width: 15px;" /><noscript>JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. Reactivate it to view this content.</noscript></div></div>
<p><br /></p><p>I am grateful that I've been experiencing more joy lately. December was a really dark month for me, so it's refreshing to see that with a little bit of effort, gloomy days don't have to last forever. And even with the smallest drop of faith, we can drastically improve our quality of life faster than one might think. Cheers to putting in the work and proving all the doubters wrong. Until next time! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21qH5TuhMsQQI4J3KSAh9C18QgCo_RbW5cdk8OyAdu26oKdf8tq1TCE44j0o8hrn4-7x6skaTq7IKfdugmC4tkjUpo2jtcBlHzb_kxPAVE7vfDG_aqQpkTLEpWtKNfKQGqMNWdRyJhqmR1f5zsB1yUkRLnZM8p65TvSQjYRDljYEqbXn-dj2m1NEmAw/s359/WithLove-cropped.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="359" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21qH5TuhMsQQI4J3KSAh9C18QgCo_RbW5cdk8OyAdu26oKdf8tq1TCE44j0o8hrn4-7x6skaTq7IKfdugmC4tkjUpo2jtcBlHzb_kxPAVE7vfDG_aqQpkTLEpWtKNfKQGqMNWdRyJhqmR1f5zsB1yUkRLnZM8p65TvSQjYRDljYEqbXn-dj2m1NEmAw/s320/WithLove-cropped.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-14028015832015787682022-10-09T17:58:00.000-07:002022-10-09T17:58:01.379-07:00October Edit: Seasonal Mood board + Sunday Inspiration <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtGxBRp6_ozKO3Z4CrxShLw9o6qFc4_O7sLKXH6zpcdyPbrnOX2MXwklHtAMejhzLbPoGK_MgSsdx65ZcemGs2ylQkpnW0YEkudpbwBW3v6OCoUfpGpP1E82v-4ccZb_hefEYU52r48Btu2O8DtpOL8zUOuHKrEVgGaZ4MM3oD9ORrPC00SvFKsre93g/s1640/Autumn%20Photo%20Collage%20Fall%20Mood%20Facebook%20Cover.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtGxBRp6_ozKO3Z4CrxShLw9o6qFc4_O7sLKXH6zpcdyPbrnOX2MXwklHtAMejhzLbPoGK_MgSsdx65ZcemGs2ylQkpnW0YEkudpbwBW3v6OCoUfpGpP1E82v-4ccZb_hefEYU52r48Btu2O8DtpOL8zUOuHKrEVgGaZ4MM3oD9ORrPC00SvFKsre93g/w640-h360/Autumn%20Photo%20Collage%20Fall%20Mood%20Facebook%20Cover.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>Ah, it finally feels like autumn is in full swing! October is probably my favorite month of the year. Between the festive and spooky decor, fall activities, Halloween costumes, events and celebrations, perfect weather, and fall fashion - October is abundant with magical moments. I firmly believe in romanticizing your life, and October makes it extremely easy to do so. </p><p>This evening, I want to list all the things I love about fall and schedule a ton of activities (small and large) to soak up the season. I'm talking about trips to the farmers market, apple picking, baking days, cozy movie marathons, decorating, fall foliage trips, outdoor movie nights, and on and on. But for some reason, I keep hitting this huge wall of resistance that's telling me not to bother dreaming about the lifestyle I want because it's not going to happen. So I'm learning to sit with the doubt and sorrow and say "ok, I hear you brain, but these thoughts aren't facts or helpful so keep it moving brain. I'm not listening to those mean self-deprecating thoughts." </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKH9moB5qVLZixhSKLg9eqF4LLOG3B-nhgJrS_Znjv9Lbsr4SP4WRnaafi0vcfSq_oxgxHhf2Lmtfpm6r9kHcbpWKqzjr5kE_-w_yxGr1nWK9bsRMYhXMKmLORfuUonnuTJmMSdIPkN0dtrvv_xR7zF3vgDN4HQJPjxp2BgOnLxGi76nkgxdUq2Hvb4w/s2000/Beige%20Aesthetic%20Pastel%20Collage%20Memories%20Moodboard%20Portrait%20Photo%20Collage.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1333" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKH9moB5qVLZixhSKLg9eqF4LLOG3B-nhgJrS_Znjv9Lbsr4SP4WRnaafi0vcfSq_oxgxHhf2Lmtfpm6r9kHcbpWKqzjr5kE_-w_yxGr1nWK9bsRMYhXMKmLORfuUonnuTJmMSdIPkN0dtrvv_xR7zF3vgDN4HQJPjxp2BgOnLxGi76nkgxdUq2Hvb4w/w426-h640/Beige%20Aesthetic%20Pastel%20Collage%20Memories%20Moodboard%20Portrait%20Photo%20Collage.png" width="426" /></a></div><p>I'm sure that waking up sick contributed to my negative thoughts spiral because all of my productive plans got thrown out the window. But at the same time, I'm learning to relish these slow days that force me to rest and are void of running around the city, void of heavy drinking, and therefore; void of crippling hangovers. So since my Sunday has been dedicated to catching up on sleep and rest, here are a few fun and frugal fall things I'm scheduling for myself this week: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Put up fall and Halloween decor </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Sit down and create my budget for the rest of the year while treating myself to a pumpkin spice latte. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Make some extra cash through my favorite rating site - usertesting.com </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Squeeze in a few pole and pilates classes this week (as long as I'm not sick) </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Photograph and post all the fall pieces I've been trying to sell on curtsy </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Spend Sunday planning and scheduling my upcoming week </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Create my weekly menu and meal prep </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Connect with new guys on dating apps... if I feel up to it. TBH, I HATE using dating apps, but I would love to find the right partner, and I'm aware that I need to put in the work to meet him. During the process, I keep reminding myself that what I'm seeking is also seeking me. So cheers to all of us who are focusing on cultivating healthy and happy relationships with ourselves and others. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Edit all the video footage I filmed last weekend. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Catch up on a few career and business masterclasses - I've been craving a mini fall work retreat via a pretty cabin in the woods. Imagine jetting off to a cute cabin in the woods and working on your dreams by the fireplace, sipping on a glass of wine, and looking out at a beautiful lake while the sun sets. DREAMY!! I haven't been showing up for my some of my dreams lately and that's just not the type of person I want to be. I want to make myself proud and that starts with showing up for my business. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>And last but certainly not least, planning my fall capsule wardrobe, I am in desperate need of all things leather - leather trench coat, leather pants, leather dresses and leather combat boots in multiple colors. Fall fashion is truly the best. </li></ul><div style="text-align: center;">Fall Pieces On My Radar</div><div class="shopthepost-widget" data-widget-id="4857958"><script type="text/javascript">!function(w,i,d,g,e,t){d.getElementById(i)||(element=d.createElement(t),element.id=i,element.src="https://widgets.rewardstyle.com"+e,d.body.appendChild(element)),w.hasOwnProperty(g)===!0&&"complete"===d.readyState&&w[g].init()}(window,"shopthepost-script",document,"__stp","/js/shopthepost.js","script")</script><div class="rs-adblock"><img onerror="this.parentNode.innerHTML="Disable your ad blocking software to view this content."" src="https://assets.rewardstyle.com/production/c0ed1a80aae5cacf6142d5b63017bd0c01838c89/images/search/350.gif" style="height: 15px; width: 15px;" /><noscript>JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. Reactivate it to view this content.</noscript></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>How are you planning to spend your upcoming week? I'd love to know in the comments below! And thank you for showing me some love and support by reading this post. It truly means the world to me. Wishing you a lovely Sunday evening. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYyFLdfBMQhvBVeSU0b7r8Buc_dyB7Xam1TkO9za26WXP5WoXByi_boHYyn7dJdwDj3lYalHNhvqSrGne43gA437E5i5dAFsdhFQBedcbb98sfRdA8OLNrXeP5AA2S2m7EvvSn_EjoVEPo4FBgFaBbX4bMaezhDowoZrzNtHhoBp36_0C__lEyMzKBNA/s359/WithLove-cropped.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="359" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYyFLdfBMQhvBVeSU0b7r8Buc_dyB7Xam1TkO9za26WXP5WoXByi_boHYyn7dJdwDj3lYalHNhvqSrGne43gA437E5i5dAFsdhFQBedcbb98sfRdA8OLNrXeP5AA2S2m7EvvSn_EjoVEPo4FBgFaBbX4bMaezhDowoZrzNtHhoBp36_0C__lEyMzKBNA/s320/WithLove-cropped.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><p></p>niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-85785047299447366902022-10-02T14:40:00.000-07:002022-10-02T14:40:07.501-07:00Autumn Refresh: A season of healing<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYxc4REwthAtUtcII0_aDAVwZXmcibhTZlHIUXNBJ1txhnDw_jZW8wKZEvmYrbfESFfpFZ3VbJLnYP5WIMMlK6_shn5rdU8sVeXSlGhMVdhUMUL3SKPbysAjJ66ADOKFddGKQ4dLa4eJfKrAeNbj_ObjuJU0NjDCH_aqQ2E4YJG_QGeDjt-Lbo5IC8A/s4128/kerstin-wrba-zeInZepl_Hw-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYxc4REwthAtUtcII0_aDAVwZXmcibhTZlHIUXNBJ1txhnDw_jZW8wKZEvmYrbfESFfpFZ3VbJLnYP5WIMMlK6_shn5rdU8sVeXSlGhMVdhUMUL3SKPbysAjJ66ADOKFddGKQ4dLa4eJfKrAeNbj_ObjuJU0NjDCH_aqQ2E4YJG_QGeDjt-Lbo5IC8A/w480-h640/kerstin-wrba-zeInZepl_Hw-unsplash.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@kerstinwrba?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Kerstin Wrba</a> </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;">It’s been so gloomy in the NYC area this weekend and to be honest, I absolutely love it. It mirrors how I’ve been feeling lately. This weather is making me want to retreat and reflect on the person I’ve been and the person I’m becoming.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;">I took a break from pursuing most of my goals during the month of September. Because I wasn’t distracted by ambitions, I was forced to face my inner demons, despite me doing everything in my power to avoid my feelings and my dilemmas. And it’s kind of refreshing. I feel like I'm sooo close to breaking this unhealthy cycle of working myself to the bone and telling myself that I don’t have time to deal with my emotions. I was just pretending that I felt fine and I was silently letting anxiety run amuck, which you can guess just lead to an intense emotional burnout.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;">But that’s not the life I want for myself, and I feel strong enough to healthily raise my standards and stop letting my negative, anxious thoughts dictate my actions. I get one shot at this life. So I might as well enjoy the journey and accept that I still make a ton of mistakes and overwhelm is just a natural part of growing. This is going to be a beautiful season of growth and healing. Why? Because I say so. I'm in charge of my spiritual healing - and my spiritual health is drastically tied to my physical and financial health.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;">So this October is dedicated to healing. My 30-day goal is to ditch alcohol while I embrace and process my emotions as soon as they arise. I tend to ignore the guilt and shame that comes with disappointing myself, which I did a lot during September because I was too burned out to follow through with the goals I set for myself. And then those intense emotions fester and drain me until I feel like a shell version of myself.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;">But that’s ok! Instead of judging myself, I’m leading with curiosity. I’m creating the emotional and physical environment that will allow me to show up for myself and keep the promises I make to myself. Yeah, I have really high standards for my life and that’s not a bad thing… but I’m ready to forgive myself for not being where I thought I should be by now. I’m letting go of all my mistakes, for constantly procrastinating because it’s time to embrace myself with grace and self-love and trust that I’m on the right path and going at the right pace.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWL67W1zmC_TkBCYD5Wd28mel2jFHuY6T1iwmB8YSWGlRFM1Bci-N-NYQAHi72_wjbiNCbj5NdTHVTd8TFeaOVH-2_z1DItZE4JEGuNj53cxzy9jeKkX5AvnKHfbdBl9gWcsDtO4224a6wuBmCPj34uAXc8LwJOz5SATT5ABBWQlIqwdilqKeAisuM-Q/s6000/daniel-j-schwarz-7-oM8eFUkFQ-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWL67W1zmC_TkBCYD5Wd28mel2jFHuY6T1iwmB8YSWGlRFM1Bci-N-NYQAHi72_wjbiNCbj5NdTHVTd8TFeaOVH-2_z1DItZE4JEGuNj53cxzy9jeKkX5AvnKHfbdBl9gWcsDtO4224a6wuBmCPj34uAXc8LwJOz5SATT5ABBWQlIqwdilqKeAisuM-Q/w426-h640/daniel-j-schwarz-7-oM8eFUkFQ-unsplash.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@danieljschwarz?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Daniel J. Schwarz</a> </span><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Fall is my absolute favorite time of year, and I want to savor every moment of October and November. I’ll do so by releasing the past and all the expectations my younger self had for my 28-year-old self (ie. By now I should be a wealthy, perfect, married woman with an incredible career, a thriving side business, and a budding family). I’m embracing that healing is not linear and the reason I don’t have the life I want is because I’m still becoming the person I want to be. And that’s going to take time, which I’m still learning to be ok with.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;">I can face all the emotions and anxiety that arise in me while also finding joy in the simplest things this fall. I can heal and embrace happiness. I’ll just take it one day at a time and focus on the things that fuel me while letting go of the things, people, and activities that drain me.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;">Are you on a healing journey too? If so, I’d love to know what you’re focusing on this month to feel fulfilled and proud of yourself? Even the smallest things like meal prepping at home or not letting laundry pile up can hugely impact our ability to trust ourselves and feel whole. Baby steps are still steps in the right direction and I hope your fall is filled with prosperity, love, joy, and healing.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;">Shop my October wellness kit below. These are the items I’m leaning on this month to help me connect with myself again.</span><br /><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div class="shopthepost-widget" data-widget-id="4853178"><script type="text/javascript">!function(w,i,d,g,e,t){d.getElementById(i)||(element=d.createElement(t),element.id=i,element.src="https://widgets.rewardstyle.com"+e,d.body.appendChild(element)),w.hasOwnProperty(g)===!0&&"complete"===d.readyState&&w[g].init()}(window,"shopthepost-script",document,"__stp","/js/shopthepost.js","script")</script><div class="rs-adblock"><img onerror="this.parentNode.innerHTML="Disable your ad blocking software to view this content."" src="https://assets.rewardstyle.com/production/6e22a6df29c875b2b8065e738d4402d8638abc36/images/search/350.gif" style="height: 15px; width: 15px;" /><noscript>JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. Reactivate it to view this content.</noscript></div></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRibV9MxzffvUmNLE4sgYG5NlbXSQ6hTF-lbp0YOZMhglkXeD1rOYFDcH9LkDcDf5y_WgRIhmwGXrNTPlmnf2J244Gxw02BgkA6v1fBAg9pC9xnCGig0NTMKBTXnbEbN8qqwwdt9TTq3VdO-G_jbq_aesBUvQaUj7YkAoHWYiEVoCdxGCmp7_anWbwbA/s359/WithLove-cropped.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="359" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRibV9MxzffvUmNLE4sgYG5NlbXSQ6hTF-lbp0YOZMhglkXeD1rOYFDcH9LkDcDf5y_WgRIhmwGXrNTPlmnf2J244Gxw02BgkA6v1fBAg9pC9xnCGig0NTMKBTXnbEbN8qqwwdt9TTq3VdO-G_jbq_aesBUvQaUj7YkAoHWYiEVoCdxGCmp7_anWbwbA/s320/WithLove-cropped.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-87194340237608544392022-06-08T15:14:00.005-07:002022-06-08T15:30:22.661-07:00Summer Reset: An Ode to Seasonal Slowdowns<p></p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMKlYmsdikoTf5Kv74YRkqP83Wztan_Nm3RmMXMWEIyTUwjoI_omUJMZSMrJdfLh-9Cp1Unhd3wxcBiedaH9M_m3RtHSICLMafBaC7JMb7kUBrbxJzVuVdPXM4uY3Q_DpXw1cQ2s8v-0SCcRXbdsAp0Ux_xeM6G0sfx3Zhoa422fCacQ7Rcu5aH4YUSg/s4621/sean-oulashin-KMn4VEeEPR8-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4621" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMKlYmsdikoTf5Kv74YRkqP83Wztan_Nm3RmMXMWEIyTUwjoI_omUJMZSMrJdfLh-9Cp1Unhd3wxcBiedaH9M_m3RtHSICLMafBaC7JMb7kUBrbxJzVuVdPXM4uY3Q_DpXw1cQ2s8v-0SCcRXbdsAp0Ux_xeM6G0sfx3Zhoa422fCacQ7Rcu5aH4YUSg/w640-h426/sean-oulashin-KMn4VEeEPR8-unsplash.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@oulashin?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Sean Oulashin</a> </td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /><p></p><p>And just like that, another summer is upon us. I truly love summer in the city. The city comes alive in the warmer months. The outfits are more fun, everyone is in a lovely(ish) mood and energy runs through our veins as we shed the winter blues and spring chilly weather. But with warm weather, usually comes this neurotic need to accomplish everything under the sun. For us to check all of our goals off and make drastic leaps of progress - or at least that's how I feel pretty much every spring, summer and fall. And you know what? That toxic "you're not doing enough and you need to do more and be more and be better" energy, yeah that bully inside my head that I constantly have to keep in check - she doesn't serve me anymore. </p><p>There was a time when I truly thought that voice was beneficial. Like she encouraged me and motivated me to achieve more... but over time, the cruel words I said to myself really just ended up ruining my self-trust and my self-confidence. This is exactly why I've been reeling back my ambitious to-do list and focusing on feeling mentally and spiritually well. It has been freaking HARD to show up for myself in the extraordinary (or even just basic) way that I wish to. Like way way harder than I expected. Everything feels sooo overwhelming and like most of my goals, dreams and desires are going to be so fucking hard to achieve - not impossible but still really freaking difficult. Then I heard incredible advice from my fellow Capricorn boss b*tch Tonya Leigh in a recent podcast episode "<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/showing-up-when-its-hard/id1071406906?i=1000553412722" target="_blank">Showing up when it's hard</a>". It went a little something like this: </p><p>"When life gets really hard and you are struggling to show up for yourself - aim for mediocre. Just do the bare minimum because that little momentum will get you going." </p><p>As I was listening to this advice, it felt like a huge weight was lifted off of my back. I took a moment to drink a huge glass of water, breathe in deeply and allow myself to A.) accept where I am in life right now and B.) embrace that where I want to be in life is not going to magically happen overnight. And honestly, if it did, I would miss out on all the lessons that are constantly shaping me into the woman I am so proud I'm becoming. And right now, that woman is coming off of another season of BURNOUT.</p><p> </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMiJC-7SqTfMFB9sBQVzsWGEpdcOG9CMjSJVxaewlLVWlKEeY_lsUyhvPi8sprTU0QTVLCwA9TU5ikjcMq_TajeUVY59oDOD8jkL_3jAu5v-0l_Nt20S7rv1rGdMOmRwLoyhGZ6DlOVD2VMsoEXIs9OD1lxhJSJHKhaiPXGrjgApzIMCifB8ZArG01qg/s5165/shifaaz-shamoon-okVXy9tG3KY-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5165" data-original-width="2902" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMiJC-7SqTfMFB9sBQVzsWGEpdcOG9CMjSJVxaewlLVWlKEeY_lsUyhvPi8sprTU0QTVLCwA9TU5ikjcMq_TajeUVY59oDOD8jkL_3jAu5v-0l_Nt20S7rv1rGdMOmRwLoyhGZ6DlOVD2VMsoEXIs9OD1lxhJSJHKhaiPXGrjgApzIMCifB8ZArG01qg/w360-h640/shifaaz-shamoon-okVXy9tG3KY-unsplash.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@sotti?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Shifaaz shamoon</a> <br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>So instead of giving up on all of my dreams or procrastinating on pursuing my passions because I can't do them perfectly, I am embracing B-rated work. I am ok with being mediocre this season (ok, let's be honest, even my mediocre is pretty fucking fabulous but I digress). I am ok with doing the bare minimum to pursue my dreams while I figure out how to restore my energy instead of just halting production altogether. Because putting one foot in front of the other and just aiming to be 1% better than I was yesterday is still a win. Screw society's timeframe; my quality of life and my career will unfold in the right timeframe for me. And in the meantime, I'm going to fight every day to find small things to celebrate - no matter what that nagging voice says in the back of my head. <p></p><p>Now I'm curious to hear from you. Do ever feel like this too? And if so, is there one small thing you can do for yourself this week to take some of the pressure off while still feeling proud of yourself? I'm dying to know. No matter what you're going through right now, I hope this post makes you feel less alone and inspires you to be kind to yourself this week. We are all just trying to do our best, and we're in this together. Sending you lots of love! Until next time my friend. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEip7cJoLvB7UTSMOsoSRRw7qgOGagRWgQuNwaI0JnNirWX4AjWrbU3PWcRCRJMfL2NNkItunD3ibIbXm0MfFyWXAzSliOKzQiOQeq3abvrU73r1H1SfZDn-tqlnougH08z0dWzGvDpuzshJSho8Mt3zwfm_CuKTDFCi-g7YAyahFwNvh0c8HWAW-4su0A=s359" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="359" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEip7cJoLvB7UTSMOsoSRRw7qgOGagRWgQuNwaI0JnNirWX4AjWrbU3PWcRCRJMfL2NNkItunD3ibIbXm0MfFyWXAzSliOKzQiOQeq3abvrU73r1H1SfZDn-tqlnougH08z0dWzGvDpuzshJSho8Mt3zwfm_CuKTDFCi-g7YAyahFwNvh0c8HWAW-4su0A=w400-h146" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-69757432204562303522022-04-03T17:29:00.007-07:002022-04-03T17:29:48.652-07:00Sunday Scaries: A Note on Self-Compassion and Enduring Pressure<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR3M10KxforoO6QlebYbei9fX0hM8WsEMkrfI7b1l9JAE0Z4moSeKew0ZBmZyBQ9vbSPpMCALfq5Max3js01SBCMKja_pikPW1YZlJqyZZte4f8qRNUDyiQ9LDUj-PBAN2ZQ3y4FZT6sv12nMP11Z8fKLjNG6rThZOyIoscmIofR4wkoQzoBA2utiHiw/s4496/joanna-huang-k7lM-KTlke4-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4496" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR3M10KxforoO6QlebYbei9fX0hM8WsEMkrfI7b1l9JAE0Z4moSeKew0ZBmZyBQ9vbSPpMCALfq5Max3js01SBCMKja_pikPW1YZlJqyZZte4f8qRNUDyiQ9LDUj-PBAN2ZQ3y4FZT6sv12nMP11Z8fKLjNG6rThZOyIoscmIofR4wkoQzoBA2utiHiw/w427-h640/joanna-huang-k7lM-KTlke4-unsplash.jpg" width="427" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>Oh goodness, what a year it has been so far. I know I'm not the only one who has felt a lot of pressure this year so far. The pressure to reach a new level, heal from past demons and traumas, pressure to show up for myself in an extraordinary way, pressure to lose weight... the list goes on and on. But to sum it all up, the pressure comes down to expecting myself to have my sh*t together all at once, reach all my goals quickly and never disappoint myself. But that ain't how life works. I'm not perfect and neither are the people in my life. </p><p>And that is what I need to constantly remind myself, that extending grace to others, and especially to myself is a skill that I am eager to master. I am starting to realize that consistently showing up for yourself can only be sustained once we learn how to forgive ourselves for showing up in the manner we wish. Quite a paradox, don't you think. The healthiest way to stop disappointing ourselves is to accept that we will disappoint ourselves from time to time and quickly enact self-forgiveness.</p><p>We are all just doing our best to figure it out. Every adult I know is dealing with intense external pressures... so why do we manage to add more pressure by beating ourselves up? And having crazy-high expectations for ourselves and for others isn't healthy or helpful. But that doesn't mean that abandoning our boundaries is ok either. That's the dance I'm trying to figure out: <i><u>extending grac</u></i>e while also upholding boundaries and learning how to hold my own hand through hard chapters. I have NOT figured out how to do this yet, but I am taking small steps each and every day to slowly master this. So here are just a few ways I try to cut myself some slack when things get hard and heavy.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJX7GFhm8984WnEUCKfcY-JL4RKIB362y06yAuQmWDH-lCkig0LcuIk7jat5PxstcyzJFLuEuPlWYQEZ4n2bDkJu5yWFu1J1bSiwLQaY7_N2hJjW3YH2JgVSR9mmiH9g6DE_-m6h8zTw3_zw7c-pD7xzWP5qfAUr9ohQcJpGnsIJwadei6Zwpg5AfuHw/s1650/Purple%20Diamond%20Modern%20Funny%20Postcard%20(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1275" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJX7GFhm8984WnEUCKfcY-JL4RKIB362y06yAuQmWDH-lCkig0LcuIk7jat5PxstcyzJFLuEuPlWYQEZ4n2bDkJu5yWFu1J1bSiwLQaY7_N2hJjW3YH2JgVSR9mmiH9g6DE_-m6h8zTw3_zw7c-pD7xzWP5qfAUr9ohQcJpGnsIJwadei6Zwpg5AfuHw/w494-h640/Purple%20Diamond%20Modern%20Funny%20Postcard%20(2).jpg" width="494" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><u>How I extend myself grace when I disappoint myself or just feel overwhe</u>lmed: </p><p>1. I gravitate towards a mental health/ mindset podcast. One of my absolute favorites was <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/imani-state-of-mind/id1516545644" target="_blank">Imani State of Mind</a>. She no longer records, but I still go back to binge listen to her 38 episodes. Dr. Imani is a psychiatrist who candidly talked about all traumas we were collectively experiencing but she and her co-podcaster always managed to discuss these serious topics with a refreshing note of humor. I also love the <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/school-of-self-image/id1071406906" target="_blank">School of Self Image Podcast</a>. Whenever I listen to one of Tonya's mindset-focused episodes, I instantly feel lighter. She is ALL about extending ourselves grace. </p><p>2. Journal and cry. There's no way around this. It's inevitable. I tend to bottle up a lot of emotions and then I implode and then I sink into a funk after imploding. And I hate this habit of mine. It's one I have to actively work against. It also got the best of me this weekend and that is because I have been avoiding a lot of my tense emotions. I was even using my alcohol cleanse as a shield from my emotions. Because I wasn't drinking, I was filling a lot of my time with what I thought were productivity activities. But in reality, I was keeping myself super busy and shoving all my fear, pain, guilt, anxiety, shame, anger, frustrations and overwhelm deep down and telling myself that everything was fine. Lol nah it wasn't. So once again, I was reminded that I need to journal and process my emotions. </p><p>3. Do the bare minimum for a day or two. Ok, here me out, sometimes, when you are feeling really low and exhausted (for me that's always after a day of over-drinking and only a few hours of sleep lol Nia when will you learn?) you really need to accept that your best today is not going to be amazing. The only thing you can do is take it one task at a time and not freak out about the results of whatever you are working towards. </p><p>4. Set a timer and clean for 15 minutes. Put on music and clean. You will feel better. You just will. </p><p>5. I cook an easy, yet relatively, healthy meals and just focus on leisurely enjoying them. This is one of my favorite tricks because it makes me feel like I'm taking care of myself. So even if I don't get anything else on my to-do list done that day, at least I took care of my body and I saved money by cooking at home. </p><p>Idk about you, but I certainly keep creating the same problems in my life over and over because I am still struggling to grant myself grace. I am learning that life will always put pressure on us, but the more grace we extend towards ourselves, the more pressure we can endure, and baby, diamonds are born out of pressure. We can totally do this. Wishing you all the love and a peaceful Sunday! </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNBCYSi5nTCFku8NsHaBcyWqnq0T72LYpoiC5P8uvWoMW-Qgd8PfnZXw-iW7280PM7uQGUYkyolAr8XUPYHYT_v6r3_A2-EBUX-MJla_egWFJ-pP3B5jotl7aaS58yldLLWjDxA7oFncAIjqBySvZGd-AmlquAubfmjiQeN2sCVZb4xe8fdVJDmOvUA/s359/WithLove-cropped.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="359" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNBCYSi5nTCFku8NsHaBcyWqnq0T72LYpoiC5P8uvWoMW-Qgd8PfnZXw-iW7280PM7uQGUYkyolAr8XUPYHYT_v6r3_A2-EBUX-MJla_egWFJ-pP3B5jotl7aaS58yldLLWjDxA7oFncAIjqBySvZGd-AmlquAubfmjiQeN2sCVZb4xe8fdVJDmOvUA/s320/WithLove-cropped.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-6521619861969883762022-01-02T12:09:00.007-08:002022-01-02T12:09:55.111-08:00 Happy 2022: A Year of Intention and Faith <p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCWWpzWqNWxK4a_01zy_wKDVDfm4KUadE6TSeoKD47u6FtHF-80euP5M2__xcGN8lTcu1qCoi-wdnyUj6U9acHrRv0ta85uU3ZAzOJCMVvITClMPMFhekDoBHw9-OTfmFru0s_dNhFcZI-Kchx0v5eUtBvhbyLj7hvcenajCthuxJlwTd_VKorGk45ow=s5344" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5344" data-original-width="3563" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCWWpzWqNWxK4a_01zy_wKDVDfm4KUadE6TSeoKD47u6FtHF-80euP5M2__xcGN8lTcu1qCoi-wdnyUj6U9acHrRv0ta85uU3ZAzOJCMVvITClMPMFhekDoBHw9-OTfmFru0s_dNhFcZI-Kchx0v5eUtBvhbyLj7hvcenajCthuxJlwTd_VKorGk45ow=w426-h640" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@ellienelie?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Ellieelien</a> </td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>And just like that, another year has come and gone. I am so grateful that my friends, family and myself made it through the year. Last year brought highs and lows for all of us. Last year, it felt like all I could do was survive. I ignored a lot of my problems and let fear guide my actions. And letting fear control me did NOT set me up for success. But for the first time ever, I had this week between Christmas and NYE off. Although I still logged on for a few tasks daily, instead of using this week to "get my life together" and set really high, overwhelming expectations for myself, I spent time mentally and physically resting, like a lot. </p><p>And instead of running from the fear and pain, I embraced it. It wasn't fun in the midst; actually it really f*cking sucked, but I now feel so relieved. And best of all, by embracing my pain and fear, I also have a new sense of courage. Not because my fear and anxiety about the future magically disappeared. I'm still freaking terrified. I have a lot to focus on and a lot to build, but the courage comes from being scared and taking action anyway. showing up for myself, my friends, and my family anyway. Paving my own way in my career, love life and personal life based on my own rules and not what society tells me I should do. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQAUx181ex1-VBDyFaMrzzokrECkbk0vh59thypCs3wlRzz3xDlRHRwLaDet0voiIelJdG9X4DJrZZW82juAQKJk7TtG5lCOh6_R5u835TnwVdx6FWX4xR4SjzX9vdtk9xftbXCacVRwOlY26uG7IO5-KGgV7Rn_0Ozu8__tp-NVk3562yrBajvNZLtg=s2000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQAUx181ex1-VBDyFaMrzzokrECkbk0vh59thypCs3wlRzz3xDlRHRwLaDet0voiIelJdG9X4DJrZZW82juAQKJk7TtG5lCOh6_R5u835TnwVdx6FWX4xR4SjzX9vdtk9xftbXCacVRwOlY26uG7IO5-KGgV7Rn_0Ozu8__tp-NVk3562yrBajvNZLtg=w640-h512" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>I'm curious and slowly getting excited for what this year will bring. Last year, I really struggled with maintaining faith in myself and the path of life I'm on. But now I'm ready to pour back into myself and my spirituality. This year my intention is to work on rebuilding my faith. Faith in myself, faith in my spiritual life, faith in my career path, and faith in the relationships I build with others. And a lesson that I've learned the hard way is that, in order for me to have faith in myself and in life, I have to stop biting off more than I can chew. I need to build without burning out. Slowly but surely, step by step, I'll build the positive mental mindset I need to create the life I want, and so will you. We can do this. Cheers to a year full of love, safety, and prosperity. Until next time my friend. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAlCxMutAWJoYye1TNA1TVx287i44CtCKKeI1QyedtACQ4VBT9zO6SwI9Pulmc5vgoPQ1p0_Ef5G4f6Vgrf9AgqS5AgskwHGVZfUgbRSvZaIdsFdeRTY7Mslhv80tJ4v8KsXIlQ6I333ikQNP5mhenVFI37gwW2SAAKt5QIvkfCjpQ_N23mBlH52bezg=s359" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="359" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAlCxMutAWJoYye1TNA1TVx287i44CtCKKeI1QyedtACQ4VBT9zO6SwI9Pulmc5vgoPQ1p0_Ef5G4f6Vgrf9AgqS5AgskwHGVZfUgbRSvZaIdsFdeRTY7Mslhv80tJ4v8KsXIlQ6I333ikQNP5mhenVFI37gwW2SAAKt5QIvkfCjpQ_N23mBlH52bezg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-77972443514103216772021-12-01T19:39:00.003-08:002021-12-01T19:54:30.057-08:00Merry and Bright: December Activities Advent Calendar <p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWVH6um2GUqTJDlRhbbLOrCjahRhwMoib1BRPGE9M5Mfjg_bxU2fKRvBxSZ7c9bgo1HbkJ7qJ_KgJy7rkPwjCdmPUdtPtKn-ZqoC8z8sRrOt7Kzej8_VThHIX8EpE7z2_Md0JQOKudW29pKnaEZsO-neB2dUcaZDKTIESRYoYPlwItkZtBmlklEVrFEQ=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWVH6um2GUqTJDlRhbbLOrCjahRhwMoib1BRPGE9M5Mfjg_bxU2fKRvBxSZ7c9bgo1HbkJ7qJ_KgJy7rkPwjCdmPUdtPtKn-ZqoC8z8sRrOt7Kzej8_VThHIX8EpE7z2_Md0JQOKudW29pKnaEZsO-neB2dUcaZDKTIESRYoYPlwItkZtBmlklEVrFEQ=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@janromero?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Jan Romero</a><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; white-space: nowrap;"> </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Oops, another month soared by and I unintentionally took a hiatus from my beloved blog. As you can see, consistency is a skill I'm still trying to master. Oy, at least I have something to work towards its month. But it feels sooo good to sit down and dedicate time to putting my thoughts and creative passions on virtual paper. And today, I want to focus on making a savvy bucket list to celebrate the holiday season. </p><p>We all know how stressful this time of year can be between the busy work season, family obligations and the heavy cost of the gift-giving and travel season BUT that is not what we are focusing on this year. We are not going to live in a state of stress, burn-out, or fear this year! We are going to find small (and sometimes grand) ways to celebrate every single day for the month of December. </p><p>I truly do love this time of year. There's beauty everywhere we look, and although a lot of us are experiencing grief in some shape or form, there is something powerful about embracing the highs and the lows of the season. No matter what chapter of life you're in right now, I am wishing that each day has a little magic in it. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQ1-UJeXGdvjSCgbwrpwoR-8XH6ETvHxzVH2fAeFZdXP3dKom9LuqMPSmG3dzx4KkdG4cRrnC3kjTT9gh_KYbufu-y2SihFlfTVLJsmnZKQZ-IZ8FU8Oy-JtsTyQrcQsP6twLJ5uUEeEQEcPJ7qKml8W38zLZDcrQa5wt73Xq0OqKgYK7TjhtCcE4sRw=s1920" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQ1-UJeXGdvjSCgbwrpwoR-8XH6ETvHxzVH2fAeFZdXP3dKom9LuqMPSmG3dzx4KkdG4cRrnC3kjTT9gh_KYbufu-y2SihFlfTVLJsmnZKQZ-IZ8FU8Oy-JtsTyQrcQsP6twLJ5uUEeEQEcPJ7qKml8W38zLZDcrQa5wt73Xq0OqKgYK7TjhtCcE4sRw=w360-h640" width="360" /></a></div><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b8370d56-7fff-82e8-c827-b195640767bb"></span></p><ol style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px; text-align: left;"><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Watch a holiday-themed episode of your favorite sitcom to wind down from the day. </span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">DECORATE!! If you haven’t already! Or stock up on amazon</span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Play christmas music & make a festive cocktail </span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Fun ornament shopping - I love finding a new, quirky ornament each year for the tree!</span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Holiday movie marathon + drinking game if you want to step it up a notch</span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Grab or make fancy hot chocolate and look at holiday lights/ holiday displays</span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Read a holiday book in a cozy environment </span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Puzzle party!! Aka drink wine and out together fun winter puzzles </span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Get dressed up to the nines for no freaking reason and go to a fancy dinner... or a frugal dinner or just out to drinks - all are fun!</span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Holiday photoshoot</span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Holiday market day!! </span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Explore a new hood with pretty lights </span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Holiday botanical gardens! </span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">See the rockettes or a holiday play (or stream online with snacks)</span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Put on a holiday movie while having an at home spa day </span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Fun holiday-themed nails like <a href="https://pin.it/DBsYRri">these</a>!!</span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Have a baking day while blasting holiday music</span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Go shopping for others & donate toys/clothing + adopt a family </span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Volunteer day</span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Holiday brunch with friends! </span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Wear a festive holiday sweater </span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Make a fun holiday craft - like wreath building, stocking decorating, ornament decorating day!! </span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Have a game night! </span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Visit a museum </span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Dress up for the ballet or opera!! Dress up even if you just stream it from home</span></span></li><li><b style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bonus Activities: </b><span style="color: #38761d;">Head to a cute coffee shop and set goals/intentions for the new year </span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Leave treats for your local delivery people </span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Festive breakfast for dinner! </span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Treat yourself to something luxe you’ve had your eyes on</span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Clean out your closet or a cluttered area to make room for the new year! </span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Stay in pjs all day!!</span></span> </li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Host or go to holiday high tea!! </span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Head to the movies and sneak in your favorite snacks </span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Sit by a cozy fire and make smores </span></span></li><ol><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Don’t have a fireplace or a backyard? Grab a <a href="https://bit.ly/3IcIIdu">city bonfire</a> (portable bonfire in a candle-like form) or head to a local spot that has a fireplace </span></span></li></ol><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Check out a festive bar and grab a spectacular drink </span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Hunt for the perfect Christmas tree</span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Do a random act of kindness </span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Write a letter to santa - aka yourself cuz we grown-ass adults! But write a letter about everything you want in the next year and how proud of yourself you are </span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Give a gift to a complete stranger </span></span></li></ol><div><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Thanks again for taking a moment to read this post and support my little ole site. Until next time my friend. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh25DQ-vT6PqFtPE44J8KiEuVC0bR30SHcxMBNXpmdFRzykHnAr2O-axeLCNWs5aOvtuLRiSi5CvRlAdpvmFdnAqx-xxq0mTkiaI84PVd7h1aYGs1pbjQCN7dJy1hPAVk1Ekh_YKQTkBQjf-aq7IgRNhBmjlKE1BaconjnFqxNlQBk06aomu_1Cv5i3MQ=s359" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="359" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh25DQ-vT6PqFtPE44J8KiEuVC0bR30SHcxMBNXpmdFRzykHnAr2O-axeLCNWs5aOvtuLRiSi5CvRlAdpvmFdnAqx-xxq0mTkiaI84PVd7h1aYGs1pbjQCN7dJy1hPAVk1Ekh_YKQTkBQjf-aq7IgRNhBmjlKE1BaconjnFqxNlQBk06aomu_1Cv5i3MQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-36208586595671438182021-10-09T09:51:00.003-07:002021-10-09T09:51:35.723-07:00Weekend Wellness Reset - My October Intentions <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NGGnQuORQv0/YWHGEE3-29I/AAAAAAAAUF4/RCR-7snxGXku53RdsoL3nymk4fY28s-NQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/octint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NGGnQuORQv0/YWHGEE3-29I/AAAAAAAAUF4/RCR-7snxGXku53RdsoL3nymk4fY28s-NQCLcBGAsYHQ/w360-h640/octint.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>Wow, I blinked at it went from being June to the 2nd weekend of October.. like HOW? October is by far my favorite month. but sadly, I have been too busy just trying to keep my head above water to deep dive into fall. Luckily, I finally have a chill weekend. I, like most of the American population, have been go-go-go since summer. I hit the ground running and kind of burned out (emotionally, physically, and financially - yeah traveling so much really drained my bank account). So I am beyond excited to have a nice, restful, and frugal weekend in the city to grant my mind, body, soul, and bank account the proper TLC it needs. </p><p>But more importantly, I'm excited to have a low-key weekend because I finally have the time and energy (energy being the keyword here) to work on the projects I love and to organize the chaos that has taken over my apartment. Personally, my mental well-being is heavily tied to the tidiness of my surroundings, being organized, and working on the creative projects that feed my soul. Having the energy to do the things I want and need to do is probably the biggest obstacle I consistently face. But a crisp, fall weekend to myself offers the perfect opportunity to recharge and rest. </p><p>My one goal for this month is to break my cycle of not showing up for myself on the weekends. Working a 9 to 5 (let's be honest, it's never just 9-5 for most of us) and heading to the gym/dance after work and then coming home to cook, clean, work on my creative projects, work a second job to generate extra forms of income so I'm not stuck in Corporate America for the next 40 fucking years, and get 7-8 hours of sleep ... that is just something I cannot handle at the moment. </p><p>So instead of biting off more than I can chew and getting upset with myself when I'm too exhausted to do all the things after work, I'm setting manageable expectations. For now, the weekends are my holy grail. The weekends will be dedicated to me going after what I want in my career and getting my mind, soul and physical surroundings in order. Then, once I feel like I can handle incorporating my weekend rituals into my weekday routine, I'll move on to the next level and will be able to dedicate even more time to creating a life I am excited about. </p><p>But for now, I will appreciate the chapter I'm in and be kind to myself. I'm excepting that I only have a limited amount of energy right now and that I cannot accomplish all of my goals as quickly as I would like to. But that's ok. I'm retraining my brain to relish in the here and now. To find the beauty in just accomplishing one of the 5 million things on my to-do list. And to find more fulfillment while I'm on this path to creating the life I want. </p><p>So what activities do I have planned for my wellness weekends? Well let's see: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Slow mornings filled with slowly enjoying my coffee and breakfast </li><li>Cleaning the kitchen, living room, and bathroom </li><li>Decorate for fall/Halloween</li><li>Cook delicious yet healthy meals at home</li><li>Sitting down to write, filming fashion looks, creating inspiring content </li><li>Cleaning out my closet and switching over to a fall wardrobe that I'm excited about </li><li>Putting up laundry </li><li>Watching all the fun Halloween movies & shows with a bottle of wine nearby </li><li>Deep conditioning my hair </li><li>Selling clothes I no longer want or fit into </li><li>Putting together my digital portfolio </li><li>Researching and creating strategic business plans and content calendars </li><li>Journaling and becoming clear on my vision and dreams so I can escape the toxic cycles I'm in that don't serve me.</li></ul><div>These are just some of my intentions for the month. I'm really excited to see how much my life can improve if I take more weekends to set myself up for fulfillment and success instead of just avoiding my problems by filling my weekends with nothing but drinking and socializing with friends. Of course, socializing is important, but spending all my time running around the city or traveling with friends doesn't allow me enough time to set the foundation for the life I want. I'm craving balance and balance I shall have because I'm the one creating it. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'd love to know if you feel the same way. What has your soul been telling you to pursue but you haven't had the time or energy to go after? How are you structuring your weekend to have some time to recharge and feel fulfilled? Let me know in the comments below! And please share this post with anyone you think it would resonate with. I cannot even begin to express how much I appreciate your support. Thank you for spending a moment of your day to read my thoughts. Wishing you a happy and restorative weekend my friend. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vyRLEm4rtQI/XpsUZsmTmwI/AAAAAAAAC6U/fli1rK4FKM4lRMZXV_QpNodYhkD9iCuHACPcBGAYYCw/s359/WithLove-cropped.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="359" height="117" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vyRLEm4rtQI/XpsUZsmTmwI/AAAAAAAAC6U/fli1rK4FKM4lRMZXV_QpNodYhkD9iCuHACPcBGAYYCw/s320/WithLove-cropped.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p></p>niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-42395011343812924232021-09-23T18:21:00.001-07:002021-09-23T18:21:58.749-07:00Some Random Thoughts + Early Fall Muses<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jQTSpy-cV2A/YU0l8kDe-qI/AAAAAAAAUFA/DoN0-bCLQj4O6DXLm6HEedDB6Q7NbbsEACLcBGAsYHQ/s1102/sage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jQTSpy-cV2A/YU0l8kDe-qI/AAAAAAAAUFA/DoN0-bCLQj4O6DXLm6HEedDB6Q7NbbsEACLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/sage.png" width="426" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>Ooops, I took a little over a month off from writing on my blog and wow, I am always surprised by how much I miss just sharing my thoughts, dreams, sources of inspiration and ideas with you guys. This truly is a therapeutic outlet for me, just like dancing. But again and again, I talk myself out of sharing so many posts that are on my heart because I just get in my head and guess what, can I be a cold-hearted Capricorn bitch who talks myself out of doing a lot of things I love. Yeah - I'm working on it in therapy. </p><p>But this isn't meant to be an emotional post today. Don't worry, I've cried a minimum of 5 times this week. One of those times occurred on a plane so yeah, it's safe to say my mental health has been teetering towards rock bottom and an emotional post is n the agenda for next week. Surprisingly, today's post is actually being written from a place of excitement, inspiration and awe. I guess you could say there's literally something in the air, because it feels like full-on fall in the city and it is exactly what the f*ck my soul needed! </p><p>There are so many little and luxe things I want to implement into my life this season to have a happy fall. I want to be frugal, yet fashionable. I want to splurge and I want to save. And I want to create life-long memories with my loved ones. And the fact that I am still excited for so many things this season while dealing with some major b.s. in life means that I am seriously leveling up. In the past, bullshit has knocked me flat on my butt. But now I'm like naw, I'm going to endure the mess life is throwing at me, geet to work, fix the things I don't like about my life and look fabulous while doing so. After all, half the game is not knowing what the heck is going on but showing up in a confident state anyway. </p><p>I don't really know how this intro has anything to do with my current fall muse board, but I really just wanted to catch up. I missed talking to you. And I hope this sage/jewel-toned mood board fills you with the same inspiration and excitement it brings me. Cheers to us feeling mysterious, sexy, powerful and luxurious this season. </p><p><br /><div data-sc-widget-id="P-614d27b61cc9ed0f72fce5a2"></div><script async src="//widgets.shopstyle.com/shopstyle-widget-snippet.js"></script>
</p><p>And thank you for spending a moment of your day to read and support my site. It truly means the world to me. Until next time my friend </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHwYEIinOxk/We8qzLtnvTI/AAAAAAAAAns/jp-cLRY3HMMXmwVGXab3UHXt9EpQCIxCACPcBGAYYCw/s359/WithLove-cropped.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="359" height="117" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHwYEIinOxk/We8qzLtnvTI/AAAAAAAAAns/jp-cLRY3HMMXmwVGXab3UHXt9EpQCIxCACPcBGAYYCw/s320/WithLove-cropped.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-3966166625601046062021-08-15T07:40:00.000-07:002021-08-15T07:40:21.976-07:00Savoring The Last Days Of The Season <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rUnVTPO1Urk/YRLsGGoOdwI/AAAAAAAAUBQ/0QE3vjGzmsoVkK7xtPhfMwy-lnMNDdvoACLcBGAsYHQ/s1354/so%2Blong%2Bsummer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1354" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rUnVTPO1Urk/YRLsGGoOdwI/AAAAAAAAUBQ/0QE3vjGzmsoVkK7xtPhfMwy-lnMNDdvoACLcBGAsYHQ/w510-h640/so%2Blong%2Bsummer.jpg" width="510" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Wow, I'm in awe at how fast this year is racing by. Fall is just around the corner, and although I absolutely adore the crisp air, beautiful leaves and fall fashion, I can't help but be a little sad to see summer coming to an end. Luckily, we still have a few more Summer Fridays on the calendar to indulge in before the chaos that comes with Fall unfolds. <div><br /></div><div>In order to soak up all the summer vibes I can, I am focusing on romanticizing my life in small, but meaningful ways. I have two more summer trips on the books - but with the delta variant sweeping the globe, a week-long getaway is no longer a guarantee. So this week, my summer goals are simple: </div><div><br /></div><div>1. Create a magical space to enjoy my meals outdoors </div><div><br /></div><div>2. Turn my backyard into a faux-tropical oasis </div><div><br /></div><div>3. Spend more time outside while working on creative projects, quietly reading or flipping through an inspiring magazine (preferably in the backyard hammock or in the shade in the neighborhood park).</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not setting any crazy, unattainable goals or creating an overwhelming bucket list for the end of fall. I'm simply just trying to enhance my surroundings and enjoy what I have and where I am. We are going to blink and it's going to be the holidays, so we might as well savor these long, warm and slow days while we can. I hope my little list encourages you to make one for yourself. And I'd love to learn how you plan to embrace the last days of summer. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here are a few things on my wish-list/I've recently purchased to help me take my spaces to the next level and feel like I'm on a luxurious vacation. </div><div><br /></div><div>For backyard entertaining, poolside fun, leisurely reading </div><div> </div><div><br /><div data-sc-widget-id="P-61192668a96a87270ccfd960"></div><script async="" src="//widgets.shopstyle.com/shopstyle-widget-snippet.js"></script>
</div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks again for reading this post. Your support means the world to me. Wishing you a relaxing and magical end to the summer season. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHwYEIinOxk/We8qzLtnvTI/AAAAAAAAAns/jp-cLRY3HMMXmwVGXab3UHXt9EpQCIxCACPcBGAYYCw/s359/WithLove-cropped.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="359" height="117" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHwYEIinOxk/We8qzLtnvTI/AAAAAAAAAns/jp-cLRY3HMMXmwVGXab3UHXt9EpQCIxCACPcBGAYYCw/s320/WithLove-cropped.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-21883911890378046852021-07-31T10:00:00.004-07:002021-07-31T10:00:51.733-07:00Weekend Self-Care Scavenger Hunt<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vaDiM8iigfQ/YQWBidGl12I/AAAAAAAAUAE/s08Wo5cNWygnVKixxXpvg6GgMsDBd_AuACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/shayna-douglas-ZT3djCA2wts-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1638" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vaDiM8iigfQ/YQWBidGl12I/AAAAAAAAUAE/s08Wo5cNWygnVKixxXpvg6GgMsDBd_AuACLcBGAsYHQ/w512-h640/shayna-douglas-ZT3djCA2wts-unsplash.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@itsmaemedia?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; outline: none; text-align: start; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Shayna Douglas</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; white-space: nowrap;"> </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>Another glorious weekend is here! The closer we get to fall, the more I value having a soothing and restorative weekend. Life seems to be picking up pace quite quickly. Our schedules are filling up again. Our time is in higher demand, but I think we all learned the beauty of slowing down over the past year. Unfortunately, it can be really easy to forget to make time for (or strickly feel like you don't have the energy) the things that bring us peace and replenish our cups. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9fX-HmMZVc8/YQV7FhFLFpI/AAAAAAAAT_0/AYAxZ0FTF3ICesZG55m5i9K-wJcSru3IgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/self%2Bcare%2Bscavenger%2Bhunt.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9fX-HmMZVc8/YQV7FhFLFpI/AAAAAAAAT_0/AYAxZ0FTF3ICesZG55m5i9K-wJcSru3IgCLcBGAsYHQ/w360-h640/self%2Bcare%2Bscavenger%2Bhunt.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Hence this weekend's self-care scavenger hunt. I'm using it as a fun and simple way to romanticize my weekend before heading into another chaotic and busy work week. Whether you're job hunting, grinding away at a corporate job, building a business, or dedicating your days to raising a family, we are all working very hard and giving so much of our time, energy and love to others. We deserve to show up for ourselves in the most loving way possible too. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IMzS9shVIk4/YQV7ZL7FhpI/AAAAAAAAT_8/cAwqvvGW3J0ipuMDiMckpwhw6kqi8oCBACLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/Self%2BCare%2BCheck%2BList%2BInstagram%2BStory%2B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IMzS9shVIk4/YQV7ZL7FhpI/AAAAAAAAT_8/cAwqvvGW3J0ipuMDiMckpwhw6kqi8oCBACLcBGAsYHQ/w360-h640/Self%2BCare%2BCheck%2BList%2BInstagram%2BStory%2B.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br /><p> </p><div data-sc-widget-id="P-61057f441cc9ed2bba69025c"></div><script async="" src="//widgets.shopstyle.com/shopstyle-widget-snippet.js"></script>
<p>I'm dying to know what's on your self-care checklist this weekend! Let me know in the comments or over on IG! And thank you so much for taking a moment of your day to read this post. Your support means the world to me. And please share this post with anyone whom you think would enjoy it. The more positive people in our virtual circle, the better. Until next time my friend. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHwYEIinOxk/We8qzLtnvTI/AAAAAAAAAns/jp-cLRY3HMMXmwVGXab3UHXt9EpQCIxCACPcBGAYYCw/s359/WithLove-cropped.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="359" height="117" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHwYEIinOxk/We8qzLtnvTI/AAAAAAAAAns/jp-cLRY3HMMXmwVGXab3UHXt9EpQCIxCACPcBGAYYCw/s320/WithLove-cropped.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-69882004520641215402021-07-13T05:13:00.000-07:002021-07-13T05:13:02.514-07:00Weekly Pick-Me Up: Vol 1<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H8jUhF8k24w/YO1-R_9i7BI/AAAAAAAAT9I/fU-QFNNS05otHDy3xzCgO_kRJbfLeJFogCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/will-truettner-OPbsDy95hFw-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1367" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H8jUhF8k24w/YO1-R_9i7BI/AAAAAAAAT9I/fU-QFNNS05otHDy3xzCgO_kRJbfLeJFogCLcBGAsYHQ/w428-h640/will-truettner-OPbsDy95hFw-unsplash.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@willy_teee?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Will Truettner</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; white-space: nowrap;"> </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Idk
why (well actually, I’m 99% sure it’s because it’s almost that time of the
month for me) but I have been in a pretty bad mood ever since I got back from
Italy. Because summer is so short and sweet, and I don’t want to spend another week
feeling down and out. After all, this is supposed to be hot girl summer, not
sad girl summer or mad girl summer. I just want to feel all the positive vibes... but positivity is something I'm really struggling to hold on to right now. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Although we are all for processing our emotions, staying in a funk for a week+ is
not the vibe I want right now. So I’m surrounding myself with a lot of positive
quotes, books, podcasts and people. Here are a few quotes I found last night
that reminded me to take a moment, breathe, and accept that life is messy and
sometimes uncontrollable and everything will be ok. I hope these quotes add a
little inspiration to your week like they are for mine. <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FOGOpuOeb5w/YO1_9T2ySAI/AAAAAAAAT9U/fx9v7JnfjVU_HCcv59p0fDAb-eATrQb6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/positive%2B%2Bvibes%2B2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" height="512" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FOGOpuOeb5w/YO1_9T2ySAI/AAAAAAAAT9U/fx9v7JnfjVU_HCcv59p0fDAb-eATrQb6wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h512/positive%2B%2Bvibes%2B2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X07_6svDmCg/YO1_9USei8I/AAAAAAAAT9Q/qkogRbz3EyUIinbDIh09xjqUcP_R6NJIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/positive%2Bvibes.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" height="512" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X07_6svDmCg/YO1_9USei8I/AAAAAAAAT9Q/qkogRbz3EyUIinbDIh09xjqUcP_R6NJIgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h512/positive%2Bvibes.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">And here are a few books I'm leaning on this week to reset my attitude and see the positive side of life right now. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br />
<div data-sc-widget-id="P-60ed82ca40f7292a18e8c177"></div><script async src="//widgets.shopstyle.com/shopstyle-widget-snippet.js"></script>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Thanks for spending a moment of your day to read and support my dreams. Sending you lots of love! Until next time my friend </p>niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-80931262870920491022021-06-26T11:46:00.001-07:002021-06-26T11:46:53.864-07:00Summer Muses: Vaccinated Edition <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G_nKgwD-qfA/YNdw6M3d0WI/AAAAAAAAT7I/H8qDYcr1wKgJwskrk65Wmbh5osUt_qz-QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/igor-oliyarnik-Uu5aXBI1oLk-unsplash%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G_nKgwD-qfA/YNdw6M3d0WI/AAAAAAAAT7I/H8qDYcr1wKgJwskrk65Wmbh5osUt_qz-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/igor-oliyarnik-Uu5aXBI1oLk-unsplash%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@igorius?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Igor Oliyarnik</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/collections/6792747/wanderlust-?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> " target="_blank">Igor Oliyarnik</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /> So I took an unintentional break from writing. You know when you get in those moods and just can't find the energy to do the extra things you love? Well that's the vibe I had for most of May, but now that Summer Fridays are in full swing, I'm in my friend Vondell's amazing creative/career/entrepreneur course and have a few vacations on the books to look forward to, I feel revived! Summer is so sweet. The relaxed nature of work, the excitement of being able to internationally travel again, reuniting with friends whom I haven't seen in over a year! This summer is in full swing!! And I want to savor every moment of it by making more time for the things I love. Here are a few things that are inspiring me to have an invigorating summer. From simple pleasures to normalizing luxury in my life, there's a wide range of things I am focusing on consistently doing this season to find more joy. After all, I think 2020/ the first part of 2021 was hard for most of us. We deserve nice things (even if we are on a strict budget) this season. Cheers to a magical, fulfilling and inspired summer! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l8bUBjjs_9s/YNdyH1nA-oI/AAAAAAAAT7Q/FrS-HIs8jVgXEXKIPZnpKS_VAgGgg5jTwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/summer%2B21%2Bmuse%2Bboard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" height="512" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l8bUBjjs_9s/YNdyH1nA-oI/AAAAAAAAT7Q/FrS-HIs8jVgXEXKIPZnpKS_VAgGgg5jTwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h512/summer%2B21%2Bmuse%2Bboard.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos by: Martyna Bober, Will Truettner, Heather Ford, Angelo Pantazis, <br />Mathilde Langevin, Annie Spratt </td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /><b><u><i>Summer 2021 Muses </i></u></b></p><p></p><ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Leisurely drinking coffee and tea in the morning <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">AM workouts <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Feeling confident in my body, especially through dance <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Embracing the jet-setter lifestyle <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oranges, pinks, yellows, pastel blues, and emerald greens! These colors are dominating my wardrobe right now. I keep gravitating towards them. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tennis outfits <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All the water destinations <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Alfresco dinners <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Long lunch breaks while WFH <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Morning dips in the pool <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fresh seafood <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Chilled rosè and posh outfits <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cookouts with friends <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Flipping through a glossy magazine <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Reading outdoors under the shade <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Turning my outdoor spaces into an oasis <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Long walks with good friends or podcasts <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dancing in the mirror daily <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fresh mani pedis<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fresh picks from the farmers market <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Seaside escapes to remote areas <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Luxury handbags and accessories <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Friday nights in, curled up on the couch, snuggling
with the one you love <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul><br /><p></p><div>And here is a little bingo card I made to encourage us to make time for ourselves this summer. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RBKCeQLR4pw/YNd06dbtZ0I/AAAAAAAAT7Y/C3BLoKZD1MstjMN5GLN8MztPInB9ir-XgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/Attachment-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RBKCeQLR4pw/YNd06dbtZ0I/AAAAAAAAT7Y/C3BLoKZD1MstjMN5GLN8MztPInB9ir-XgCLcBGAsYHQ/w360-h640/Attachment-1.png" width="360" /></a></div><br /><div>What's inspiring you this summer? Leave a comment below and tag me on IG if you make a muse/mood board of your own! Thanks for spending a moment of your day reading this post! Your support means the world to me! Until next time friend. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHwYEIinOxk/We8qzLtnvTI/AAAAAAAAAns/jp-cLRY3HMMXmwVGXab3UHXt9EpQCIxCACPcBGAYYCw/s359/WithLove-cropped.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="359" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHwYEIinOxk/We8qzLtnvTI/AAAAAAAAAns/jp-cLRY3HMMXmwVGXab3UHXt9EpQCIxCACPcBGAYYCw/s320/WithLove-cropped.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-33259075847737913152021-04-16T07:10:00.000-07:002021-04-16T07:10:08.383-07:00Mental Spring Cleaning <p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vBKdg-BWP78/YHZIHgn0qeI/AAAAAAAAT0U/KU5y_gkv2-godfKvsp7sXm7NMZWuH80kQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/bianka-csenki--nxksGFSoeM-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vBKdg-BWP78/YHZIHgn0qeI/AAAAAAAAT0U/KU5y_gkv2-godfKvsp7sXm7NMZWuH80kQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/bianka-csenki--nxksGFSoeM-unsplash.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://unsplash.com/@biankacsenki?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Bianka Csenki</a> </td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I love that spring usually brings a new wave of energy and a sense of new beginnings. I am so eager to leave the past versions of myself right in the freaking past... but I’d be a bold-faced liar if I tried to pretend like I wasn’t still struggling to overcome a lot of counter-productive (and sometimes straight-up toxic) behavior while constantly freaking out about the future. It ain’t a fun mental place to live at, let me tell you that. There are so many self-sabotaging habits that I am to leave behind such as (drumroll please)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Overspending/ignoring my budget - like Nia STOOPPPP IT!!! </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Wasting each weekend away by drinking and over socializing instead of focusing on my dreams. I want a healthy balance of socializing and having fun while also setting aside time to focus on my goals</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Smoking weed or drinking instead of dealing with my problems. Weed is legal here, so in moderation, it's great! But when I use it to avoid my emotions... then it becomes an issue.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Emotionally eating... yeah, this has always been an issue for me, but it really ramped up during covid. </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Procrastinating on my dreams. This is the worst bad habit of them all because it is the catalyst that leads me to all the other terrible habits I turn to in order to distract myself from feeling disappointed in myself... lol, oops. </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Giving guys who don’t act like gentlemen or are just not good fits for me a second chance. As each day passes, the more appealing it sounds to just start a family on my own in 5 to 7 years and just avoid the dating drama. And if I get a puppy, then I won't feel lonely. </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Staying up past my bedtime on weeknights! I know that staying up late is like a domino effect for disaster. Because then I wake up late, destroy my room looking for everything in a frenzy and skip my morning routine. Then I spend money on unhealthy food because I don't have enough time to make food before running to the office (I go into the office 2/3 of the week) and maybe skip the gym if I'm too tired after work. Yeah... I need to break the cycle. </span></span></li></ul><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I mean, the list could go on and on. There are lots of things about myself I’d love to work on so I can make myself happy and show up as the woman I want to be in this world. But as I grow older and wiser, I’m learning that the only way to grow into the next vibrant, successful, fulfilled version of myself, I have to be patient with myself and give myself way more grace than I think I deserve. And more importantly, I need to nurture and protect my spiritual energy and fuel my soul with the right people, places, and things.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">So I sat down and made a list of the things I need to prioritize weekly in order to feel at peace. But unlike in the past where I create these unrealistic expectations for myself and then feel disappointed with myself when I don’t meet them, I’m making a rule for myself that I only have to do one thing a day to move in the right direction. Just one!!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">And then once I am in a space where I have more energy and more self-trust, I can kick things up a notch. But for now, slow and steady is the only way I’m going to win my race. Fuck everyone else on social media. Fuck comparing our journeys, our timelines, our milestones to theirs. We don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes and tbh, focusing on them is just distracting us from focusing on our own fabulous lives!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I love creating little brain dumps of things that bring me joy and that keep me on track to becoming the woman I know I can be (aka a woman with healthy habits). These are the things that I need to do each week in order to feel proud of myself:</span></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Dance class (by far one of my favorites!)</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">⁃Cardio workout class like Pilates, Ass & Abs or a HITT class</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Biweekly photoshoots (plan shoot one week and create content the next week)</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">One blog post a week. I miss proving to myself that I can be consistent with something that brings me so much joy and moves my career in the right direction. </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">BUDGET!! It’s time to be an adult and say no to overspending and yes to focusing on my financial freedom journey.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Weekly bedroom clean-up; the messy chaos I’ve been living in does not breed a tranquil environment.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Weekly meal prep - this is imperative for my fitness journey and my financial wellbeing. </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Daily morning and bedtime guided meditations/short inspiration sessions through sanity and self. I actually can’t fall asleep without this app. It helps me ward off my nightly anxiety spirals about being poor, homeless, or single for the rest of my life (lol anxiety is a hoot, isn’t it).</span></span></li></ul><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">We will experience so many chapters in life, and not all of them are comfortable. But that’s just a sign that we are on the path to greatest and growing... because growth in itself is uncomfortable. We are being pulled to a higher level each time that pit in our stomach tells us to run towards that thing that terrifies but also energizes us. Our new sense of self is right around the corner. I can’t wait to step into the version of myself that smiles every time I look in the mirror... in fact, I think today is that day. Yesterday I was 100% ready to smash my mirror because I didn't like what I saw, and I don't like treating myself that way. I'm done with the self-mistreatment Loving ourselves the right way is a full-time job, but it’s the most important job we will ever have.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">What’s on your mental spring cleaning list this season? Sending you all the love and self-care in the world today. Welcome to our new season of loving ourselves to the fullest. We're in this together. </span></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHwYEIinOxk/We8qzLtnvTI/AAAAAAAAAns/jp-cLRY3HMMXmwVGXab3UHXt9EpQCIxCACPcBGAYYCw/s359/WithLove-cropped.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="359" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHwYEIinOxk/We8qzLtnvTI/AAAAAAAAAns/jp-cLRY3HMMXmwVGXab3UHXt9EpQCIxCACPcBGAYYCw/s320/WithLove-cropped.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="adL" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div class="yj6qo" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></div></div>niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-6674200261302215102021-03-23T18:03:00.001-07:002021-03-23T18:03:08.330-07:00Spring Decor from Amazon I'm Dying to Buy<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jeK1NWqssDY/YFqKKzqOfvI/AAAAAAAATyE/DIrVQm-ncPc6Dnhysn2l-YBkRn3cLSafACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ella-jardim-iqf-qO711ys-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1414" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jeK1NWqssDY/YFqKKzqOfvI/AAAAAAAATyE/DIrVQm-ncPc6Dnhysn2l-YBkRn3cLSafACLcBGAsYHQ/w442-h640/ella-jardim-iqf-qO711ys-unsplash.jpg" width="442" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://unsplash.com/@daniellajardim?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Ella Jardim</a> </td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>Thank the lord it is finally spring here in the city! The other week, we had 3 days of glorious spring, then it got cold again, but now it's back in the 60s! I hope this glorious weather is here to stay because I'm too deep into a spring mindset to turn back now. I really want to prioritize turning my place into an inspiring little haven this season, and Amazon is killing the game right now. </p><p>Clearly, I love pink and like having a feminine space. It just makes me smile from ear to ear when I look up and see pink flowers everywhere. Plus, drinking water out of a beautiful glass truly makes the water taste better. I'm pretty sure it's been scientifically proven... right? Sounds like a study Harvard would conduct if you ask me lol. </p><p>Anyway, this is the first round of home decor I'm treating myself to this season. Although it would be extremely fun to binge shop and get everything on my wishlist at once, that's not the most responsible thing to do, so little by little, I will transform my apartment ... and backyard into an oasis. What's on your home decor wish list this season? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uqTPwCouukI/YFqOQtdMvGI/AAAAAAAATyM/fWyNguP45DI66bVRjJV55XFlqM3ClWnVACLcBGAsYHQ/s703/IMG_8257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="703" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uqTPwCouukI/YFqOQtdMvGI/AAAAAAAATyM/fWyNguP45DI66bVRjJV55XFlqM3ClWnVACLcBGAsYHQ/w492-h640/IMG_8257.JPG" width="492" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Shop my favorite finds below</p><p><br />
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</p><p>Thanks for taking a moment to read this post. Your support means the world to me, and I hope we can all create an inspiring and tranquil space for ourselves this season. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHwYEIinOxk/We8qzLtnvTI/AAAAAAAAAns/jp-cLRY3HMMXmwVGXab3UHXt9EpQCIxCACPcBGAYYCw/s359/WithLove-cropped.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="359" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHwYEIinOxk/We8qzLtnvTI/AAAAAAAAAns/jp-cLRY3HMMXmwVGXab3UHXt9EpQCIxCACPcBGAYYCw/s320/WithLove-cropped.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-24843992422545878072021-03-08T18:01:00.004-08:002021-03-08T18:01:47.377-08:00March Muses: This Spring is about to get Sprung<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-40_z4no4ohM/YEbS0hpJKPI/AAAAAAAATv8/VGBb2172Jjc-2IUkszJnLJgXJYhVxUuugCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ellieelien-JvVFUbe2Uro-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-40_z4no4ohM/YEbS0hpJKPI/AAAAAAAATv8/VGBb2172Jjc-2IUkszJnLJgXJYhVxUuugCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/ellieelien-JvVFUbe2Uro-unsplash.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@ellienelie?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Ellieelien</a> </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div>Yay!! It's finally spring... or at least the weather is acting like it's spring, therefore I will act like it's spring. 60 degrees weather in NYC basically means it's time to hit the streets in a bomb outfit and embrace the glamour that this city has to offer. Ah! I'm so excited. I can't wait to embrace this spring and become more of the woman I want to be. I always have more energy in the spring which means I can...<div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Commit to my morning and evening wellness routines </li><li>Get back in a healthier fitness routine</li><li>Put effort into my physical presentation before heading into work or running errands... cuz let me tell you, I can't even get coffee in NYC or JC without running into really cute guys</li><li>Have the energy to cook healthy and delicious meals </li><li>Explore the beauty of this city on foot without freezing my ass off </li><li>And enjoy al fresco meals in the warm sun. </li><li>Plan a nice vacation for the near future - I am optimistic that things will be a lot safer this summer/fall, and I am itching to spend a weekend sailing and drinking wine in a nice, sunny isolated spot. </li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHIeKBSF4tk/YEbWuEmQEYI/AAAAAAAATwE/4TqyVwzqHJExdYcAms-7BRbDReLOiJenACLcBGAsYHQ/s229/1800thesteets.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="229" data-original-width="220" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHIeKBSF4tk/YEbWuEmQEYI/AAAAAAAATwE/4TqyVwzqHJExdYcAms-7BRbDReLOiJenACLcBGAsYHQ/w384-h400/1800thesteets.jpeg" width="384" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--RtbzSNlzgs/YEbRLGJfReI/AAAAAAAATvo/X6YglvLZU90QmtfkUGbvgZnGieHujvP8QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1315/page0%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1315" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--RtbzSNlzgs/YEbRLGJfReI/AAAAAAAATvo/X6YglvLZU90QmtfkUGbvgZnGieHujvP8QCLcBGAsYHQ/w526-h640/page0%2B3.jpg" width="526" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>I can't wait to just be in nice, warm weather - it really is such a game-changer for mental health. Here are a few more things I'm currently inspired by this month.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kYzaU5R-Q30/YEbRV7JP5kI/AAAAAAAATvw/pX20Fu_py40gmIucV87zjW_NwVVeRllZACLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/page0%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kYzaU5R-Q30/YEbRV7JP5kI/AAAAAAAATvw/pX20Fu_py40gmIucV87zjW_NwVVeRllZACLcBGAsYHQ/w360-h640/page0%2B2.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> Cheers to a magical new season! Let's hope it's a lot better than the last. Stay safe, and thanks for taking a moment to read this post.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHwYEIinOxk/We8qzLtnvTI/AAAAAAAAAns/jp-cLRY3HMMXmwVGXab3UHXt9EpQCIxCACPcBGAYYCw/s359/WithLove-cropped.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="359" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHwYEIinOxk/We8qzLtnvTI/AAAAAAAAAns/jp-cLRY3HMMXmwVGXab3UHXt9EpQCIxCACPcBGAYYCw/s320/WithLove-cropped.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-38832890108863336872021-02-24T05:40:00.000-08:002021-02-24T05:40:13.444-08:00Positive Quotes For When Everything Just Feels Off<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y_3vX2v4IHE/YDZXDfQ1rbI/AAAAAAAATuA/F5n1uDk5kQA0cRRcqekPJ-2aWeeAf78qgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ellieelien-YRWibYcsqjg-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y_3vX2v4IHE/YDZXDfQ1rbI/AAAAAAAATuA/F5n1uDk5kQA0cRRcqekPJ-2aWeeAf78qgCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/ellieelien-YRWibYcsqjg-unsplash.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@ellienelie?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Ellieelien</a> </td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />Disclaimer: the intro to this post is very honest and raw. If you only want to see the positive messages, I recommend scrolling down until you see the first image. We all have days where we can't take in anything other than positive messages, and this post is meant to help anyone who's feeling off, feel less alone. I want everyone who reads this post to walk away feeling inspired or uplifted so take the messages that are right for you and leave the rest. :) </p><p>Do you ever get into a funk where everything just feels kind of meaningless? I'm clearly not a doctor, but it feels quite different from my typical depression episodes. I know for me, I can still experience joy and even random bursts of motivation when I'm in this mood that unfortunately has been visiting me way more than I freaking appreciate. Even when I seek out joy or fun, something still just feels... off, and the joy feels like a distraction from what's really going on beneath the surface. </p><p>Luckily, I have dedicated a lot of time (and freaking money - hello NYC psychology bills) to investing in my mental health. Seeking out help has prepared me for these darker episodes so I always know in the back of my head that just because I'm thinking negative, toxic, self-deprecating thoughts doesn't make them true. And I know that these dark spirals I get into really all stem from the same damn place. Anxiety. </p><p>Anxiety helped our ancestors stay safe from lions or tigers or slave owners who were hunting runaway slaves seeking freedom and asylum (yeah, I went there) because it helped them run away from danger. But living in a constant state of anxiety no-longer serves us because modern society doesn't possess the same sense of continuous, urgent danger that existed for our ancestors. You don't need to take my word for it, I'm just repeating what multiple psychologists and psychiatrists have said about the history of anxiety. </p><p>For me, hearing this breakdown about anxiety helps me to beat myself up less for feeling this way. It doesn't mean there is something inherently wrong with me or broken about me; it just means this is my brain's fucked up way of trying to keep me safe from the unknown. And the reason I'm being this honest on the internet and painting myself as a pretty little target for anyone to stumble upon and make fun of me for is that I know I'm not the only person who feels like this. The last thing we all need right now is to feel lonelier than we already are. So instead of sinking deeper into a toxic mindset, we are going to pick ourselves up out of our dark spaces (when we are each ready to do so) and take baby steps to get our zest and hope back. </p><p>Tackling anxiety looks different for everyone. It's a long process that can't be fixed overnight. But I think we can all benefit from adding positive messages into our daily routine. It's simple, it's free and maybe it's the stepping stone someone needs to take the next step in their wellness journey. No matter what place you're at in life right now, I hope something in the quotes below resonates with you and helps you smile today. And if you have a beautiful quote you'd like to share, feel free to leave a comment below or DM me on instagram. It would be fun to share everyone's favorite uplifting quotes in a post. Sending you lots of love, and thanks for taking a moment to read this post. Your support means the world to me.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kWa6_VolqMc/YDZUgh8qWEI/AAAAAAAATtk/dZIA3xD-vT0u-oF63_UOedfINsbcBpAHgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/page2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kWa6_VolqMc/YDZUgh8qWEI/AAAAAAAATtk/dZIA3xD-vT0u-oF63_UOedfINsbcBpAHgCLcBGAsYHQ/w360-h640/page2.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nIqJvehkUpw/YDZUqZyGZTI/AAAAAAAATto/zRuBCoHVWTkW-O7xaMDf_kF4WteMGFNaQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/page1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nIqJvehkUpw/YDZUqZyGZTI/AAAAAAAATto/zRuBCoHVWTkW-O7xaMDf_kF4WteMGFNaQCLcBGAsYHQ/w360-h640/page1.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7m3C8HKyuz4/YDZUw1AETUI/AAAAAAAATt4/PtSI9rVGyiELOIUXu9XX6nQyVQgdcPJTwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/page0.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7m3C8HKyuz4/YDZUw1AETUI/AAAAAAAATt4/PtSI9rVGyiELOIUXu9XX6nQyVQgdcPJTwCLcBGAsYHQ/w360-h640/page0.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-23542628292638352362021-02-01T17:58:00.016-08:002021-02-01T18:16:56.191-08:00The Art of Romance: Dating Myself <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4nI23WTCIMA/YBiWhY13YNI/AAAAAAAATpc/yNQXK39_BXwu1PK9usLuVvf12TESQprGACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/priscilla-du-preez-Zk9Pu-twNAg-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4nI23WTCIMA/YBiWhY13YNI/AAAAAAAATpc/yNQXK39_BXwu1PK9usLuVvf12TESQprGACLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/priscilla-du-preez-Zk9Pu-twNAg-unsplash.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@priscilladupreez?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Priscilla Du Preez</a> </td></tr></tbody></table><p>This might sound crazy (or maybe even basic bitch-esque, whatever idgaf), but after getting through all of 2020 and a long-ass, draining January (although we had a few wins - shoutout to Georgia voters and Biden/Harris in the House!!) without a significant other to lean on as an additional support system/intimate connection, I am in this mindset of saying "fuck it! I'm going to build that intimate relationship with myself! I'm going to treat myself like a queen." Embracing the whole self-love club movement that's been sweeping the internet for the past few years has always been somewhat challenging for me. I know that's terrible to admit, but as a natural perfectionist, loving myself when I fail to show up for myself has never been an easy task for me. </p><p>But as I reflect on 2020, it becomes more and more apparent that enjoying the here and now is sooo soo sooo important. And yet, in a year where loneliness, isolation, depression, and the mundane wfh lifestyle have swept the globe, enjoying each day has truly become a hell of a lot harder to to achieve. That's why I'm embracing February, the designated month of love, to dating myself. </p><p>Yep, that's right. I'm officially jumping on the bandwagon. The challenge is pretty simple tbh, each day, I just have to do one small, romantic, indulgent or decadent thing for myself to make my day. Anything that will put a smile on my face and remind me that I'm that bitch. A minimum of 28 things for 28 days. And of course, we are going to do this the frugal way. </p><p>I have a running list of ideas that I'll keep adding to. That way, I'll have a constant bank of inspiration to lean on during the days that I feel burned-out out or just unfulfilled with life. The beauty of this list is that I keep reminding myself that even the smallest things can bring me the highest form of joy. Things like buying myself a beautiful bouquet of flowers from Trader Joes, treating myself to a cute new necklace from Anthropologie, sleeping in satin pjs, and exploring a new, chic cafe just to pick up a delicious dessert are all extremely simple and affordable ways to show me how much I appreciate myself. It takes a lot to show up for ourselves every single day, and we deserve to celebrate that win. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BUO6K5hpg_Y/YBiox9rls8I/AAAAAAAATpw/lL_Cf38UMhAlmAiGMRVXxgwX6BWBhD8KQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/Colorful%2BIllustrated%2BWeekly%2BCalendar%2B%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BUO6K5hpg_Y/YBiox9rls8I/AAAAAAAATpw/lL_Cf38UMhAlmAiGMRVXxgwX6BWBhD8KQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/Colorful%2BIllustrated%2BWeekly%2BCalendar%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>And I already got a head start this year; I bought myself some beautiful, affordable lingerie and valentine's themed pjs. Then, just to take things up a notch, I found the cutest valentine's day decorative pillows for only $4! Like I said, the smallest things put the largest smile on my face. Here are a few of the things I purchased last week and things I have my eyes on for the next month or so. </p><p>So cheers to a year of making ourselves smile and reaching a whole new level of intimacy with ourselves. I'd love to hear what you're doing to treat yourself this month! Leave a comment or shoot me a DM. It will be fun to keep each other accountable </p><p><br /></p><p>My Treat Yo' Self List </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>
<div data-sc-widget-id="P-6018b0ccba0c757688b85010"></div><script async="" src="//widgets.shopstyle.com/shopstyle-widget-snippet.js"></script>niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-37798299253620213302021-01-02T17:04:00.001-08:002021-01-02T17:04:22.073-08:00New Year Check-In: Still Burned Out but Workin on it<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pwNeuKJhWmA/X_EV2szm5QI/AAAAAAAATjw/Xj7LrGx8-ok3FlZ7fKvwXYTgtto0MzX5gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ellieelien-lVbDUpEj0yw-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pwNeuKJhWmA/X_EV2szm5QI/AAAAAAAATjw/Xj7LrGx8-ok3FlZ7fKvwXYTgtto0MzX5gCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/ellieelien-lVbDUpEj0yw-unsplash.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@ellienelie?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Ellieelien</a> </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div>Usually, I am so excited for a new year to begin. The glimmer of hope, the unknown opportunities that come out of nowhere, the rush of excitement that comes from reflecting and mapping out new goals. But this year, mapping out my new year resolutions just feels, well, a little silly. Because truth be told, I'm just not excited about much these days. <div><br /></div><div>Although I'm incredibly grateful to be blessed with the opportunity to see a new year and another day on this earth, I can tell that I'm still really burned out. Unfortunately, being burned out doesn't help pay the fucking bills or help me live a vibrant life. Aka, I have to figure out a way to find my way back to myself and learn to actually be happy. </div><div><br /></div><div>So instead of resolutions, I'm setting a theme for the year. And that theme is fulfillment. I just refuse to spend another year of this gift we call life as a miserable person. I'm not, fucking doing it. I deserve to be happy. You deserve to be happy. We deserve to be fucking happy. </div><div><br /></div><div>But here's the problem, a lot of things that make me feel fulfilled cost money (cooking lavish meals, my dance classes, paying off all my debt, craft projects, fun photoshoots, creating a cozy home, traveling post-pandemic, therapy. etc.) And one of the main reasons why I am always so anxious is because of money lol. Isn't that ironic. Time for little miss Nia to suck it the fuck up and get a second job again and stop spending on frivolous things. Oy. </div><div><div><br /></div><div>One amazing skill I've developed during this season of social distancing is learning to really love my alone time. It's a Saturday night and instead of spending the evening overdrinking and overeating with friends (although in moderation, that's a fun freaking time), I'm finally sitting down and writing again. Working on my dream... well part of my dream because yall know a bitch is multi-faceted. I'm building the foundations for something that will one day be a major source of income for me. And that is something to get excited about. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>I'm starting to realize that to live a well-rounded, fulfilling life, I have to eliminate more distractions and make sacrifices while also making time for fun. My problem is I tend to focus on one without making room for the other. Balance has never been a strength of mine, but no time like the present to learn a new skill haha. So, I guess, I have two themes for the year: fulfillment and balance. Now that I think about it, they do go hand in hand because you can't be fulfilled without balance. </div><div><br /></div><div>I know I'm not just going to wake up tomorrow, or one day next week, and feel like a brand new bitch who magically has figured out a way to solve all her problems, but I am determined to take the slow and steady road and actually appreciate this one life I have been granted. So cheers to finding happiness this year - even if it looks nothing like what we thought it would. </div><div><br /></div><div>Let me know your theme in the comments below! I'd love to go on this journey together so we can root each other on. May this year be full of blessings, adventures, and bliss for you. Thanks for taking a moment to read this post! Your support means the world to me. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHwYEIinOxk/We8qzLtnvTI/AAAAAAAAAns/jp-cLRY3HMMXmwVGXab3UHXt9EpQCIxCACPcBGAYYCw/s359/WithLove-cropped.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="359" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHwYEIinOxk/We8qzLtnvTI/AAAAAAAAAns/jp-cLRY3HMMXmwVGXab3UHXt9EpQCIxCACPcBGAYYCw/s320/WithLove-cropped.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6945286452485573176.post-73265083822330998462020-11-23T17:47:00.002-08:002020-11-23T17:47:22.197-08:00Decking the Halls: Affordable Holiday Home Decor <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g9c5gBLFuzI/X7xjG4QSr0I/AAAAAAAATaA/JRz18tDRFdg1UYxZj46l5BepUTacPGlMgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/element5-digital-VXlUgmI6ToE-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1357" data-original-width="2048" height="424" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g9c5gBLFuzI/X7xjG4QSr0I/AAAAAAAATaA/JRz18tDRFdg1UYxZj46l5BepUTacPGlMgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h424/element5-digital-VXlUgmI6ToE-unsplash.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@element5digital?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Element5 Digital</a> </td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />Every time I sit outside on my balcony, glancing at the whimsical, colorful fall leaves, a part of me wants to hold onto fall for the rest of the year. Between the Pumpkin Cold Brew at Starbucks, warm cozy knits, and walks around my brownstone-lined neighborhood in this randomly-warm, then chilly weather in November (yeah, no one can tell me that global warming isn't real because NYC is usually cold af by now), there are still so many daily seasonal rituals that I want to focus on before the end of fall. But as soon as November 27th comes around (aka Black Friday) I will be in full-on holiday mode! </p><p>I'm planning to have all of my holiday decor up a little bit earlier than usual so I can enjoy it for as long as possible before I head home for the holidays. I am notorious for waiting too long to turn my apartment into a holiday haven and not having enough time to enjoy the festive atmosphere. Well, you better believe that is changing this year. So I've already put together my home decor checklist and started the recording process. Because the earlier I plan, the better the deals I can score. I will have holiday music blasting, chicken biscuits to snack on, and sip on a new, festive holiday drink (probably a fancy hot chocolate) each weekend to celebrate the season. Ah, I'm so excited! My guess is, we will be spending more time at home this year, so we might as well turn our places into festive oases. </p><p>Here are a few things that are still on my holiday decor wish list. My roommate and I ventured off to Dollar Tree this past weekend and found a lot of cute stuff! But there are still a few decor holes I want to fix... frugally of course. And we all know that Black Friday is prime for finding cute decor at insane discounts. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7utZkIow8Vk/X7xkj63uTJI/AAAAAAAATaM/lTA7vRYfqNw2ozH2KL-N-y784_fkix41QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/page0.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7utZkIow8Vk/X7xkj63uTJI/AAAAAAAATaM/lTA7vRYfqNw2ozH2KL-N-y784_fkix41QCLcBGAsYHQ/w360-h640/page0.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><br /><p><br />
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<p></p><p>Cheers to a magical holiday season. Do you have any holiday traditions that you're looking forward to this year? Please feel free to share in the comments below! I think we all need as many ideas as possible this year. It's been a doozy, so making this holiday season as magical as possible is basically a necessity. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHwYEIinOxk/We8qzLtnvTI/AAAAAAAAAns/jp-cLRY3HMMXmwVGXab3UHXt9EpQCIxCACPcBGAYYCw/s359/WithLove-cropped.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="359" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHwYEIinOxk/We8qzLtnvTI/AAAAAAAAAns/jp-cLRY3HMMXmwVGXab3UHXt9EpQCIxCACPcBGAYYCw/s320/WithLove-cropped.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>niamariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14145417569222058018noreply@blogger.com0