Recently, my husband and I had the opportunity to visit Phnon Penh, Cambodia. This was Tim's fourth trip visiting local churches and schools in the capitol city of 1.5 million people, as his company supports and sends funds to organizations on the ground. Being this was my first time in Cambodia, I found myself absorbing everything that I saw; the colors of the fresh fruit, the shades of brown from the dirt roads and bland colored cement structures, the stories told in the eyes of all the young …
Inspirational
Hope for Mental Health
The CDC says 50% of all American's will suffer from mental illness in their lifetime... It’s difficult to imagine that 50% of adults will develop depression, anxiety, self-harm, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, PTSD, borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, or some other mental illness in their lifetime. This staggering reality can feel daunting, But there is HOPE... HOPE says that you are not defined by your illness. HOPE says your life has a purpose …
A Successful Failure
“Honey, we need to sell the salon...” Those words were incredibly hard to hear, yet alone accept, as together my husband and I had owned and operated a seven chair full service salon which employed 14 young women at one time. It was never my dream to own a business and I certainly wasn’t trained to do the job well. This journey begun when my husband came home and told me I needed my own salon, only after being a stylist for two years, and said it was time that we buy one. In less than a month, …
Spiritual FitBit
I was recently gifted a Fitbit which has become the new crave these days for those active and tracking their personal exercise levels. It has taken me a little while to figure out the apps and programs to accurately use the new device, but overall, it's been pretty easy to use this new toy. I find it very telling to view my steps at the end of the day. Some days are filled with lots of table teaching as I home school the kids and others busy with outside play or gym classes that keep me moving …
5 Ways to Survive the Challenges of Infertility
As a psychotherapist and a former infertility patient I often help others and think about what got me through the most challenging times during the many years it took to have my daughter. I remember those days when I needed a friend to talk to, a hug, and most of all, a way to get me through the day sometimes without crying. Don’t get me wrong, I had a lot of good days and many great days, but it was a really hard time in my life. So, I have created a list (in my opinion) of the most important …
Pow Wow Design Studio Movie Night
Last week my daughter Ava and I had the pleasure of attending a fabulous event hosted by the lovely Pow Wow Design Studio! I have been follow Melissa on Instagram for some months now and I have loved her work, energy, and transparency in her posts. {Follow her @PowWowDesignStudio on Instagram} When I saw that they were extending the opportunity to attend a Movie Night at the Studio and showing one of THE 80's classics of all time... 16 Candles I was beyond excited! This hip and laid back event …
Featured Better Business Babe : Kim Rouse
Every month, The Better Business Babe will be specially featuring an inspiring story about women who are making a difference; in Business & in Life! We are calling these exceptional women "Featured Better Business Babe's"! Women nominated by their peers or applying themselves will exemplify the ideals of The Better Business Babe core values to aspire to a well rounded balance between Business & Life! Do you have an inspirational women in your life that you think would be worthy of …
I Lift and I Like It (part 2)
After doing two more marathons throughout graduate school, I began to question how I was measuring my fitness. I would run for hours on end thinking I was the fittest person ever and liking the fact that it kept me slim. I started reading about the benefits of cross training and decided it would be a challenge to do a triathlon and it would mean incorporating two other disciplines as cross training. So I bought a bike and started swimming in a pool to train for my first spring triathlon in Lake …
Happy Mother’s Day!
"Mother is the name of God in the lips and hearts of children." William Makepeace Thackeray On this Mother's Day we celebrate the Art of Motherhood. It is a joyful experience, filled with immeasurable love, sometimes immeasurable grief, and always a lot of giving. It is undoubtedly an art form, a craft, a creative, undefined, makeup-as-you-go noble profession that takes what seems like a lifetime to master. More importantly, it is a privilege. What is the Art of Mothering? I think Reena …
I Lift and I Like It (part 1)
“Lifting weights makes you bulky.” “I don’t want to look too muscular.” “That’s great that you can lift that much and you don’t look too manly.” “Wow. I could never do that. I’m not very strong.” “You do what? You’re too little to do that.” “I’d have to get in shape first before trying that.” These are just a handful of excuses that I hear from women about being reluctant to lift weights. Instead, I see them literally running in circles to burn fat and be slim. I was like you, I tell …