MY STANDING DESK
When I made the transition to working online 13 years ago, I was very concerned about the amount of time I would spend being seated during my day.  Working at home has many benefits, but without a plan, it can take a toll on your health. With meetings and work demands, you may spend hours at a time sitting if you are not aware.  I hope this post is helpful for those who are working at home because of the pandemic.  ​

"2020" We may never ever need to say that again. In a few days, we will be starting a new year. I'm so looking forward to it, but I hope I'm not the only one who can say that despite the challenges of 2020, I experienced the most growth both personally and emotionally than I have ever done throughout my 46 years. Let's dive right into it!

Maintaining what works - In the absence of being physically present, you can show and interact with love ones by answering when they need you, using Facetime, and reaching out through cards or texts. I remember when my son and I were doing a walkthrough of a house I was thinking about buying.  He and I included my daughter by having her on Facetime. She was able to see what we saw and hear our thoughts about the house in real time. She also asked questions to the realtor. She was in a sense there. Yes, it was different, but it worked. 

Promoting Self Love -I've had a lot of time to reflect during 2020.  So many things happened that were beyond my control that I had to rediscover what at the end of the day makes me happy.  Sitting down to a movie with a glass of wine, studying a different language, reading a book, treating myself to a bubble bath in the middle of the day, enjoying a walk on the beach, or even having a quiet moment of meditation were all ways I showed myself self love.  When you try, you can make something beautiful from very little. For example, I began to mix lavender oil and shea butter with cane sugar, honey, and coconut oil to create an all-natural scrub. Along with warm water, my bath tub became an oasis for refreshing my soul and exfoliating my skin. 

I totally get doing things yourself, but I like my stuff put together already.  I don't mind paying a little extra.  With the current pandemic, I find that with many companies, assembly service is not available.  They just want to leave it on the curb! Sometimes they won't even ring the doorbell to let you know your package was delivered.   I had to pull out the tools and with a little help from my dog, we did it. Ok, I may have also had a few glasses of wine too. LOL 

So what did I buy?
I love working out.  I walk almost every day but some times the weather does not cooperate.  I know that my leg strength is important for keeping my knees strong to carry my curvy figure. Squats is one way to help build and protect my leg muscles, but I find doing them challenging - the whole no-leaning thing.  Well, I feel like I cannot master doing a squat correctly no matter how hard I try.  But wait... this tiny machine is perfect. It guides you down for the perfect squat.  All you do is push with the legs.  You can make it a full body workout to by pulling with the arms. There are also resistance bands to allow you to build your strength gradually. I am in love with the range of motion of this machine!

Two Month Update
This post was long overdue. I purchased my squat machine in July and I have to say that it has been an awesome experience. I feel stronger, more confident, and motivated to get on it.  I use it about 3-4 times per week combined with a simple cardio dance routine.
When you find something that works, embrace it and share it.  I no longer feel like squats are difficult.  The guided assistance of this machine makes doing squats literally as easy as pie! 
Comment below if you are interested in getting one.  And remember... Keep your chin up, show yourself love, and do those squats correctly. Hugs, Carla

I've spent my whole life thinking of others and mostly, putting others' needs before my own.  It was part of my upbringing, the culture of what I was learned to do. Don't get me wrong, taking care of others is not a curse; it is, in fact, rewarding on many levels. It is still instilled in me, but that priority has changed.  
In 2016, I started my metamorphosis.  It was not on purpose.  I've always desired to own my own business, but I knew I could not afford to support my family if I quit my main job.  Instead, I started growing my business on weekends and late nights.  Many people will call it a "side hustle"; I now call it my expansion period.  Having the ability to change your work habits to gain what you need in order to grow is HUGE!

Many coaches and trainers start their sessions by asking, "Who is your target audience?" Well, I know who my target audience of one is.  It is ME.  It's like I'm dating myself.  I want my posts to represent the best parts of ME, so that if I want to go and see how BLESSED my life has been... I just click on my profile. I don't have to wait for the Facebook algorithm to show me a positive post.  My digital journal of self reflection  is easily accessible, so I can review and reflect on how I will be better the next day or moment. Others can also access this love story and be encouraged to build their own. 

Growth is something that occurs once your tolerance level breaks.  If a person is tolerating a mediocre level, their life will reflect that.  They cannot change how they live overnight.  There will be some evidence of who they really are reflected in what they allow in their surroundings.  ​

WOW! My last post was back in January! Has it really been 6 months?  Time literally flies. Well, you are probably wondering why a blogger disappeared from the scene for six whole months.  Sometimes you have to try a few different things and work on yourself.  During my "timeout" from blogging, I have realized three things in becoming the Best Me I can be.  I hope they help you become the BEST YOU!
1. Give others space to grow.
2. Do not procrastinate.
3. Know your worth.

It was difficult coming back from my February vacation. I had tons of work to do to get caught up, but my mind and body were still in vacation mode. I became the ultimate procrastinator.  If you know me, I like to get my work done by front loading my week so my Thursdays and Fridays can be low-scale chill days. Well, I fell off that bandwagon. I procrastinated most of the week and was working up to 8PM on Fridays to finish what I should have done already.  It was stressful. I lost productivity in my week and sometimes had to work on the weekend to make it up.  I fell like I was working all the time, but my workload was the same.  As soon as I started managing my procrastination, I found time to work out and enjoy life.   My week became less stressful and I wasn't working on weekends. To overcome procrastination, I created both a daily and weekly to-do list. For larger tasks, I spread them out over three days so I could get other things done.  Planning was the key to healing me of my procrastination habit. 

​So this is my comeback to blogging. I'm so excited for the opportunity to share with you over the next few months some of the really cool things I have been working on. As always, keep working on being your Best YOU and I will too! STAY SAFE and be Blessed! ~ Carla