Kick off December the right (and healthy) way! My weekend of creating free programs, watching Twilight and listening to Michale Bublé.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and happy (almost) December! 

As a self-proclaimed Christmas whore, I get such joy out of Christmas trees, lights and decorations, the crisp "winter" air, listening to Christmas music (can I please sing the "White Christmas" duet with Michael Bublé?!?)...ahhh. Love it. 

Anyhoo, this past Thanksgiving weekend was awesome. I had the apartment to myself for 4 days and between seeing friends and running the occasional errands, I basically made it into a mini-vacation. Lots of Christmas music and wine, I watched the entire Twilight series, gave Pearl wayyy too much attention and didn't leave the apartment (or change out of my pajamas) until late afternoon some days...

But beyond my seemingly lazy weekend, I was productive AS HELL. Kicked it into high gear when it came to creating and starting some groups and programs that I'm really passionate about. Until now, they were just little ideas in my brain. But this weekend, I had the brain space, inspiration and general ballsiness to actually START them. And I. am. so. excited. Being proactive = one of the recipes for happiness. 

I wanted to give you a little more information about my groups! 

I have a Free 5-Day Clean Eating Group (more info under the "Clean Eats" tab) that I host the first week of every month. You receive a grocery list, meal plans and recipes for every day and support through a private Facebook group. I always add some bonus videos and nutrition information as well ;) Click here to learn more and sign up for my next one!

I also started a "21 Days of Gratitude" Group (more info and a FREE Gratitude Guide under the "21 Days of Gratitude" tab). I was inspired by Marie Forleo's TV episode about re-vamping your gratitude list...it got me thinking. I want to create a structured group where people I could put the spark back into their gratitude practice (or start one) and be uplifted by a positive community. Even if you journal all the time, you'll want to try out this new twist to your gratitude list. Any and all are welcome to join and there are more details on the group page. I'll also post some positive tasks or "happy hacks" every so often. You can do the challenge for the 21 days or, if you enjoy the group, you can stay as long as you want. 

I'm super excited about both these groups. The women in my 5-day clean eating group haven't even technically started and I can already tell it's going to be an awesome, supportive group. So much fun! If you have any questions about these groups or how they could be a positive addition to your life, you are welcome to email me at: theglowstickdiaries@gmail.com

Alright, it's time to head home, make dinner, food prep for the week and give my spoiled bird more attention. Ciao for now <3

Happy hacks to brighten your day (and someone else's)

Burdened...in a slump...unmotivated...down...lacking energy and a spark...

Get outside yourself. 

Whether it’s a minor annoyance you can’t seem to shake off or dissatisfaction with your current job and/or financial situation, it can weigh heavy on your mind. And the more it’s on your mind, the more energy you give it. The more energy you give it, the more it grows. 

And grows. 

And grows. 

You are perfectly justified to feel annoyed, dissatisfied, or whatever else you may be feeling. You are human and those are human emotions. You DO, however, have a choice of how much you focus on those feelings and how much power you give them over your every day happiness. 

Sometimes there isn’t a quick, easy fix for those situations in your life. It may take a while to sort out and move forward. But by changing your mindset and being conscious of your attitude, you begin to take control of your happiness from the inside out. 

I know, I know, having a “positive attitude” doesn’t make your student loans disappear. It doesn’t conjure up a flashing arrow telling you what direction to go with your life. It doesn’t stop your co-worker from being an asshole. 

When you shift your mindset to one of gratitude and happiness, rather than burden and loss, the solutions and answers have a way of appearing before us. It’s like once The Universe sees us engaging and enjoying the present moment (aka what we have, rather than what we don’t have) it goes “POOF” and there is more clarity.  

Think of it this way: the more and more we sit and wallow in our negative emotions and “live less," we make our world smaller. We live in a continuous ball of dissatisfaction. When we begin to “get outside ourselves,” meaning we get outside of that circle of negative feelings, we free ourselves from the emotional burdens of our current situation. We are declaring to The Universe that we are not going to be held back by the Johnny Rainclouds, Annoying Annies (I'm hilarious) and the “what am I doing with my life?" emotions. 

How do you get outside yourself? By not focusing on yourself.

Here are some "happy hacks" to brighten your mood and someone else's: 

1. Buy the person behind you a coffee (or another appropriate beverage/food item)
2. If you see a penny on the ground tails-up, flip it over so it is heads-up, and the next person who sees it will see a “lucky penny” (Don’t give me any germaphobe crap for that one please)
3. Watch the news regularly (seriously, it will widen your awareness and consciousness beyond your own life)
4. If you’re getting sucked into Facebook or Pinterest or some other website, close it and go for a run. Do some yoga. Start doing sit-ups. Play with your dog. ANYTHING. Just get your body moving. 
5. If you’re walking or commuting somewhere, put your phone away. No music, no Instagram, nothing that takes you away from the present moment. (Honestly, it was SO much fun when I started doing my morning walks and bus commute to work without listening to music. I engaged with my surroundings. I listened to conversations on the bus. My world went from a tiny screen to expansive and socially rich in just 15 minutes.)
6. Make dinner with friends. Meet with them for a walk. TALK. ENGAGE. No technology allowed.
7. Smile and say hello to someone on the street. Sometimes there is nothing more encouraging than connecting with a stranger.
8. Volunteer at a non-profit, a school, a homeless shelter. Donate your time somewhere.
9. Wake up early and watch the sunrise. There is nothing more peaceful and enlightening than watching a new day begin. 
10. Journal. Whether you’re a writer or not, journal. Write your heart out. Anything and everything on your mind. Don’t filter what you’re saying to the piece of paper either. Let it flow…lots of discoveries will be made. Write on your computer or in an actual notebook. Delete/shred after if you’re afraid of someone reading it.  

I hope these “happy hacks” help if you’re ever in a slump one day or are just feeling burdened with seemingly impossible responsibilities and choices. Remember though, you are totally justified to feel any feelings you're having. Always. Respect what you are feeling, but don’t let it become an energy suck and vibrancy vacuum. 

I know I have a tendency to wallow in overwhelming feelings, bring myself down and get lost in the “what am I doing with my life…I can’t do that” emotions. When that happens, I shut my computer down, lace up my shoes and go for a run. I take a walk to the coffee shop. I smile and say hello to strangers. I get outside myself. Before I know it, it starts to become a habit. The things burdening me before become smaller when I engage with the simple, rewarding beauty of the present moment around me.