Trick or Treat

Sparkle Cleanse Day 2 - Treat Yo Self Day 41

6 Steps to Sparkle

Inspired by Kris Carr., (2011) Crazy Sexy Diet. CT: Globe Pequot Press

1. Inspiration: "You are one step closer to liberation. Whatever you leave out of your diet is as important as what you include. The healthiest diets have one thing in common: they toss crappy food. This diet and lifestyle is the Rollls-Royce, and you deserve an elegant ride."
2. Focus: "Embrace yourself - literally. You may feel tired and cranky today. Yesterday you started what is a major shift in your life and health - but it likely brought up all sorts of physical and emotional pangs. That's okay! Stop what you are doing right now (well, after you read my directions), take in a very deep breath, and raise your hands to the heavens. Let your capable hands meet in a prayer. Stretch your God pod and while you swoop your lovely arms down exhale all the air out and hug yourself. As you embrace your majesty, say this out loud: "I LOVE YOU (fill in your name)". Repeat three times."
3. Prayer: "May I know in my heart that I am precious, worthy and divine (aka very fabulous)! When I move from my own private divinity whatever I do is enough."
4. Affirmation: "I love my thighs. My skin is beautiful. My organs are healthy and powerful."
5. Body Movin': "It doesn't matter what time of day you do it - just do it! Exercise for thirty-five minutes. There is no way out of this, so don't try to wiggle. Oh, and how's the meditation going, dear one? Don't blow it off, okay? Who cares if your mind stages a mutiny? What matters is that you show up."
6. Tip: "Plan meals ahead of time. It's a huge help! Though I'm not going to tell you what to eat every step of the way, that doesn't mean you shouldn't strategize. Don't get caught with your dinner pants down, sister. Crack open your cookbooks, shop and plot. Stack the odds for success in my favor."

My Reflection: 

      Happy Halloween! 
      Growing up, selecting my costume and running door to door in the neighborhood to receive tasty treats was always such a fun experience - even in when I lost my retainer in the inches of snow. 
      I'm glad to continue on with the tradition in our neighborhood. We are always flooded with pretty princesses, scary monsters and this year my favorite was a little Winnie-The-Pooh with the neighborhood's larger than life bon-fire blazing at the park across the street. This year we handed out 300 pieces of candy.
      So this year, as I thought about my Treat Yo Self Cleanse, I'll be honest the idea of not having a little treat made me sad. So against my better judgement I carefully selected a bite size Reese's Peanut Butter Cup - and oh my. As soon as I took the first bite, I wished I could take it back. My body was literally angered - too much sugar and too much chocolate! I was surprised at how quickly I noticed the symptoms (stomach ache and headache). Rather than beat myself up, I just thanked myself that I am now aware of how sensitive I am. Now that I'm making choices to NOT have these things has made all the difference. 
      While my inspiration for today was about loosing crappy food, here I was having a chocolaty treat. But in this, I learned and learned quickly. I have fine tuned my body and now am working on find tuning my mind to acknowledge when a "crappy" piece of food lingers on my lips. 

21 Day Added Sparkle Cleanse

Sparkle Cleanse Day 1 - Treat Yo Self Day 40

6 Steps to Sparkle

Inspired by Kris Carr., (2011) Crazy Sexy Diet. CT: Globe Pequot Press

1. Inspiration: "Your big task this week is to balance between pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and being gentle with yourself. There's no need to be in it to "win" it. Be in it to do better, feel better, to stretch your self-imposed limitations - that's more than enough."
2. Focus: "What you focus on for the next 21 days is extremely important. I want you to concentrate on the positive rather than the negative. Instead of "I didn't do it right," I want you to think of all that you did accomplish. To do this, you really need to think about the language you use. We all talk to ourselves. Take stock of what you are saying and remember your cells have ears! They are listening." 
3. Prayer: "Please help me open my mind. Ignite my child-like curiosity and anything-is-possible attitude. Tap me on the shoulder if I act like a cranky old bat. The voices that hold me back are thoroughly misinformed. Grant me the wisdom to release them now."
4. Affirmation: "I am capable, confident, intelligent, resilient and in charge. Health and happiness are my birthrights and I accept with gratitude."
5. Body Movin': "MOOOOVE! Sweat your prayers, walk, run, dance, play with Fido - whatever yanks your crank. I urge you to do thirty-five minutes a day at least five days a week. In addition, make sure to dry brush before you show. Start at your toes and work up to your nose! If you can't do regular saunas, or even better, infrared saunas, during this time, ooh la la - speed the success!"
6. Tip: "Finally, remember to CHEW! Can you try 20 chews per bite? If so - wow! will your tummy and tubes love you."

My Reflection: 

      I eagerly anticipate the added Sparkle to my Treat Yo Self Cleanse. This morning I woke up and spent time with the 6 Steps; enjoying the beautiful moonlight through my window. 
      I'm also rocking a sparkly scarf; just another pretty reminder that I'm really doing this.
       There are many things that I will face while I do this and know with certainly this is the right step for me.

Sparkle - Jewels of my Journey

Glass Beads, 39 Day Reflection on the Treat Yo Self Cleanse and 21 Day Sparkle Cleanse

      

       My husband and I were eager to try something new and put our crafty hands towards creating something delightful, so this past weekend we used our Groupon at Potekglass. Armed with willingness and excitement we enrolled in the Try-it: Beads of Italian Soft Glass Class. Malcom Potek welcomed us into the studio, introduced us to the equipment (torch, tool set, glass and mandrels) and taught us the basics of glass blowing.  

      As I sat in the art district of Minneapolis on the brisk, fall morning; adrenaline surged as I worked the flame. There was such power in these tools; balancing the propane and air of the torch to create the perfect flame. The flame was literally inches from my body and I used my hands to melt the molten glass to create my first bead. Once gathered, the glass was applied to a mandrel (a metal stick), once the glass hardened and cooled the mandrel made the center of the bead. We then created a stringer (basically a thin, narrow piece of glass) which once cooled, is then heated again and used to apply decoration to the beads.

      I created each beautiful bead was transported into a Zen zone and I connected to the process. Every choice I made affected how the glass would transform. The heat of the flame, temperature of the glass and spin of the mandrel shaped the bead. The glass would find forgiveness for a lopsided shape - it just needed more time, fire and patience.

      As the beads cooled - my heart was thrilled to have created such beautiful, unique beads. And in that moment, I realized that glass blowing is much like that of my personal journey of discovering and Inspiring Happiness. At first I was presented with new tools and processes, each invitation to discover more about myself initially began with anxiety and doubt - "how will I do this new thing?" And if I do this, "what is needed to make it work?" With healing resources along the way, I found support and a way to keep welcoming the invitations and whatever they beheld. And as I continue on with this journey, I get to create beautiful beads that work for me and those beads create jewels of my journey. 

10.29: Marks the 39th Day of my Treat Yo Self Cleanse

       Wow! I'm so proud of that number. My food choices have transformed this gal and I proudly shout it out that I've been crinkly-bag free for these 39 days. And the instant gratification I used to find with the drive-through foods has loosened it's grip on the emotional reactions I was trying to avoid. 

       What was that? There were a few times over the last few weeks where gluten, refined sugars, yeast and cheese have entered my life. Often times I'd find myself choosing this in the evening and especially when I've struggled to find a healing balance. I share this because I want to own that this was a pattern and can be transformed.

10.30: Begins the 21 Days of Sparkle

  
     Inspired by Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Diet I'm infusing my Treat Yo Self Cleanse with inspiration from her 21-Day Adventure Cleanse - which I'm calling my added Sparkle. I'm letting my body, mind and spirit Sparkle and shine feeling magnificent and looking beautiful inside and out. 
     With Kri's words of wisdom, I know I can Sparkle this cleanse up. I choose to not be afraid - to get out there and do my thing and if I bottom out or revolt over the course of the next 21 days, I'll smile and recommit. 
     I want to transform my thoughts, rebuild my self-esteem, and teach myself how to love what I fear in order to reach for my dreams. My dreams are within my range, I just have to stretch myself and grab them.
      There will be a daily post and my personal reflection; each day will include various ways to enhance the cleanse. Including: Inspiration, Focus, Prayer, Affirmation, Body Movin' and a Tip. I've adjusted the "To-Do" section of Kris' book to "Inspiration" and "God Pod Maintenance" to "Body Movin'." 
     I invite you to share this journey with me and if you feel like sending on any love this way - this gal will appreciate it. Here's the the Treat Yo Self Sparkle Cleanse!

Inspired By: Kris Carr., (2011) Crazy Sexy Diet. CT: Globe Pequot Press

 ** The information I share is provided for informational purposes only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult your professional healthcare providers before beginning any new treatment. It is your responsibility to research the accuracy, completeness, and usefulness of all opinions, services, and other information found on the site.

30 Things I Love

I celebrate... 30 years of living life, 30 days of my Treat Yo Self Cleanse and 30 things I love about my life.

On October 5th, I celebrated my 30th birthday and today is the 30th day of my cleanse. My heart overflowed with joy as I spent time reflecting on the power of 30.

1. A loving marriage. This year my husband and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. I still remember the first time I saw him, in that moment I knew, "I'm going to marry that man."  
2. Cuddly Cats. I have two amazing cats that are both playful and compassionate.   
3. The Inspiring Happiness Project. Sharing my experiences and creating inspiration has been a rewarding and personal journey. My hope is that these experiences have created positive ripples inspiring you to follow your heart, release patterns that no longer work and find a way to create happiness in your life.    
4. Healing. With Dr. Margaret and other amazing resources Connecting to myself, creating a life to treasure and letting whatever comes forward be embraced and healed.
5. Treat Yo Self Cleanse. Finding new ways to love food and the choices I make has created space in my life to acknowledge and discover healing. While everyday hasn't been easy, peeling back layers, discovering wisdom and finding clarity has made this cleanse the best thing I've ever done for myself. It's now 30 days in and I'm still amazed.
6. Friends and Family. You are all treasures. I love getting to know each of you, spending time loving your unique gifts and enjoying the life we create together.  
7. Love. A beautiful and wild emotion that brings dreams to life and passion to everything.
8. Love for Children. Sometimes I feel like Mary Poppins. While she doesn't have her own children, she flies into children's lives, loves them with everything she has and feels joy and love.  
9. Our home. Not just a house, it's the place I collect my thoughts, rest my head and create my dreams.  
10. Traveling. Wherever we go, whatever we do, spending time in new places is an amazing experience. Being in nature and creating new experiences rejuvenates your soul - it's simply wonderful. 
11. Discovery. The last 2 years I've discovered more about myself and ways to create a life I love.  
12. A job I love. I've been at Capella University for over 4 years now. It's been an exciting, rewarding and ever changing environment. Providing customer service, project management and most recently co-supervising a high student who works in our department helps me love what I do.  
13. Fundraising. Each year Capella University has an annual employee giving campaign: TOGETHER FOR GOOD. I began donating to the Silent Auction 3 years ago: crafts, baked items and many other things - employees bid on the item and all proceeds go to American Heart Association, Community Health Charities and United Way. This year I co-lead a Bake Sale and it was amazing. Not only did we raise over $1,000, our one day of sweetness received many accolades as a phenomenal event where people have said, "it felt like shopping in an upscale bakery with the table cloths and the presentation, except everything was affordable!"  
14. Event Planning. Amazing opportunities to create unique events for my department at work. It's always wonderful to have the vision for the events come to life. Having fun, creating memories and developing opportunities to value our employees.  
15. Dancing. Being lead on the floor to create beauty, ignites passion and strengthens trust - always accept a dance. Taking ballroom dance lessons with Kelly at Arthur Murray's in St. Paul has been a wonderful journey.   
16. Baking. I love to bake. Finding new recipes, creating scrumptious sweets and sharing with others comes from a well of love and passion.   
17. Cake Pops. Yes, they could fall under baking, but they are also a craft and rightfully deserve their own call out. I love making them for friends and family - it's always a true delight to translate their vision into an adorable and tasty treat on a stick. 
18. Crafts. Using my creativity and hands I get to create usable and loveable things. 
19. Music. Connecting to the power and passion of the artist creations, I celebrate with them as the lyrics play. My August posts celebrated the connection with music and life: Adele, Defying Gravity and Cranberries.  
20. Movies. I've always appreciated the way a movie can create and transform you into another world.  
21. The library. Finding the perfect book on any subject imaginable is absolutely lovely.  
22. Thank You cards. Picking out cute cards, showing gratitude and sending things in the mail - I just love it.  
23. Lovely locks. 4 years ago I began growing my hair. These locks are now to the middle of my back and love getting dressed up, dolled up or straightened and every day it's an adventure.  
24. Following my heart's desire. When I discovered my purpose, the life I create is lived more fully and I've found myself doing so many amazing things. Things I would have never thought possible.  
25. Making choices.Whether easy or not, anytime I make a choice, it comes from this place of power where I lead with my heart.  
26. Awareness. The ability to open up to notice all things - especially the little because you'll never know when you'll be surprised. 
27. Passion. An internal drive to love what you do and do what you love - to care about the process than the final outcome.  
28. Dreaming. After watching Cinderella I remembered how lovely dreams can be. "A dream is a wish your heart makes."  
29. Laughter. Creating a life where moments are filled with laughter build amazing memories.   
30. My 30 Year Old Self. I'm excited for the life I'm living and the joy I've created. It's simply inspiring to know I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be - doing what I love and loving what I do.

What's In A Meal?

I began my cleanse on September 21, 2012

I wouldn't have a thought a meal could only be a nutritional shake. My Treat Yo Self Cleanse has proved that a meal is what provides you nutrients and how I see food has transformed.

      As I began my Treat Yo Self Cleanse, I ate 2 meals and had 1 nutritional shake. This past weekend I replaced another meal with a shake. I'm still working on enjoying the texture of the supplement in the almond milk or juice, but one thing is for sure, it's changed what a meal consists of. The shakes give my body everything I need - amazing!
      It's been an exciting and challenging journey, I'm actually able to give myself this gift. The shakes are easy and accessible. I'm able to then create a single delicious meal, within the parameters of my food guidelines. It's more enjoyable as I eat slowly and carefully; the meal has become treasured gold.  

Feelings Towards Food

     Beyond changing what I thought a physical meal had to be, I've embraced that I feel differently towards food.  I knew being mindful of my relationship with food would be an obstacle, even writing my summary of the first 9 days took encouragement. On day 3 of the cleanse, I had a dream about pizza. Pizza, a food that over the last few years has disagreed with my body. Yet, in the dream, even though I kept eating the pizza I wondered why I was eating it. I acknowledge now that the pizza represented the abilitiy to have whatever I want (even if it isn't good for me) and now I'm taking that away.

Cravings

      On day 7 of the cleanse, food desires came out of my dreams and into real life. I noticed I was becoming more susceptible to little things getting to me. By the end of the work day I had reached capacity and I thought - "I know how to take care of this, let's eat!" I sat with this craving for a meal at Arby's on and off for nearly 48 hours. It would have been easy to say, "it's ok, it's just this once." 
      I was fighting with myself. I wanted Arby's food and I didn't understand why I couldn't have it. I wasn't hungry (even though that was one excuse) to go through the drive-through. I didn't want to acknowledge or feel what was really going on with me. I tried everything to cease the craving: I re-read my blog, cleaned the basement, spent time with my husband; anything to reinforce that I was making a choice. That whatever feelings I was trying to console with food, that the food wouldn't do anything. In fact it would only bury them, literally, underneath food. 

Emotional Eating

      I began to recognize that for even a brief moment, if I was eating, I didn't have to feel pain. Food became safe, it was a coping mechanism and it became a foundation for survival. I never understood this before and now that I do, I can accept and embrace this about myself. I've found the key and now can open myself up to the power to choose, to let the emotions live and to find serenity in both - how wonderful!
      Once I realized this, I was able to explore what was going on. Making the changes I've made have been wonderful, but have also been challenging. As I gain confidence and a comfort level with my new choices, it's easier to talk about. I know I can do this; I just need time to navigate. Oh, and no, I didn't go get Arby's. Once I stopped fighting with the urge and myself, I was able to process what was going on and as it turned out, I was no longer "Thinking Arby's".