Emerald Tea

in , , ,
EmeraldTea.jpg

Spirulina or blue-green algae contain vitamins B 1, 2 & 3, magnesium, potassium, manganese and amino acids comparable to eggs. It is also an antioxidant, anti-Inflammatory and can lower “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, may reduce blood pressure and abnormal cell growth (the “C” word), improve muscle strength and controls blood sugar. Spirulina tastes a bit like seaweed, so adding fruit or a bit of honey overrides that flavor.

EMERALD TEA:

  • 1/2 teaspoon Spirulina

  • 1/4 cup of Wildblueberries

  • Zest of Buddha Hands Citrus or Meyer lemon

  • 8 oz of Alkaline water (Essentia, SmartWater or Core)

  • Add honey to your liking (Manuka if possible)

  • Blend (I used a Blendjet for this drink)

  • Garnish with fresh berries (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries…organic if possible)

Warning: If you suffer from gout or have kidney issues, then it’s best to avoid Spirulina or limit to 50 grams of Spirulina per day. I am not a medical professional so check with your primary care physician before adding Spirulina to your food and beverages.

Weekend Design Project

in , ,

CREATE A ROOM LAYOUT

“In drawing, nothing is better than the first attempt."

- Pablo Picasso

You do not need to be great at sketching or visualizing to create a room layout. As you will see in the slideshow below, I have provided my own quick sketches with strange perspectives and blown out wacky walls and I have a design degree. When I have an idea for a space I have to get it out immediately, odd room perspective and all. I know that the accurate details and measurements will get worked out. I just need that time to flesh out the big vision before I get technical. Developing the ability to sketch out an idea or space plan will help you communicate your ideas to contractors, designers and retail associates so you can remain in control of your vision and your budget.

3 STEPS TO SKETCHING A ROOM LAYOUT

  1. Choose a room in your home. Think about how you want to use this space. Write these ideas down and create a list of equipment, furniture, storage and fixtures you will need for this space. For example, if you want to turn a spare bedroom into a home gym, your list would look something like this; a stationary bike, treadmill, weight bench, weights and storage rack for weights, a yoga mat, a foam roller, mirrors, a water cooler or mini fridge…just to name a few necessary items.

    • On paper, draw the basic shape of the room and make note of closets, alcoves, doors and windows locations.

  2. Measure the space. Length x Width = Area (area is the square footage). Next, measure the wall height and distance from the floor to the bottom of any window. This is helpful for deciding the equipment or furniture space plan. Measure any alcoves and closets the same way. Think of the whole room and all of its usable space. Now that you have the dimensions together, you will have a better idea of what will fit and the possible placement for equipment. This is where the details start to take shape and items get nixed from the wish list.

    • On the paper where you sketched the basic room shape, draw circles, rectangles and squares closely resembling the shapes of the equipment or furniture. Create more whole room layouts to see what may work best for you. This part can be frustrating and fun at the same time. It’s time to get accurate equipment or furniture measurements to see where each item will fit best in the room. This is where your superior problem solving skills come in. TIP: Use painter’s or masking tape on the floor to outline the exact dimensions of the equipment or furniture. This will look a bit like a crime scene, but it’s a great way to see how your space will function before committing to any big purchases.

  3. Sourcing equipment or furniture, creating a budget, and the finished space plan.

    • Thrift stores, store and gym closing sales, craigslist, trade with family or friends, Overstock, World Market, Article, All Modern, (Marshalls, TJ Max, Home Sense, Home Goods)…

    • Pick an amount you’re comfortable spending on your new room. Consider the extras like paint and accessories like a basket for yoga mats or plants in addition to the decided equipment or furniture. With a room makeover you have more control over the budget and can keep it simple versus a more intense renovation having plumbing or electrical conflicts eat at your budget.

    • Tadaa, you’re ready for scheduling deliveries and setting up your new space. Don’t forget the remove the tape from the floor.

    Conclusion: When in doubt, sketch it out. There are no limits to what you can dream or sketch. Be free and have fun. Who knows, you may find a new stress relieving hobby in sketching. If you lose focus and need design assistance, I'm here for you.

Home Sanctuary

in , , , ,

CREATING A SPACE FOR MENTAL WELLNESS

“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.” - Anonymous

  1. Find a small corner or spot near a window.

  2. Think about what scent make you feel at peace. Some examples are Lavender, Vanilla, Citrus, Peppermint, Sage, Sandalwood and Palo Santo (my favorite) just to name a few. This scent can be in the form of essential oils, candles, room sprays or incense.

  3. Choose calming music like; Tibetan singing bowls, nature sounds, theta waves, ASMR, a guided meditation or silence if you dare. There are YouTube channels for each of these examples. Also, set a timer if you are new to meditation or if you’re incorporating a meditation practice into your busy daily routine. Now, choose a word like; peace, focus, me, health, love, strive, strong… to repeat silently when your mind wanders.

  4. Use a floor pillow, couch cushion or a folded blanket for support. Sit with a straight back, chin parallel to the floor, hands resting on your knees, shoulders, neck and face relaxed. A way to ensure you are relaxing those muscles is by tightening all of your muscles and holding it for 5 seconds and then let it all gooo.

  5. You’re all set. Enjoy and go easy on yourself since this is a practice.

Deep Breathing: Take 30 deep breaths slowly. It’s okay if you feel lightheaded for a minute. It will pass and you will feel invigorated.

A Functioning Home

in , , ,
Create a simple sketch of a space to reimagine a new furniture layout. This is a scrappy loose sketch so no need for an architecture degree.

Create a simple sketch of a space to reimagine a new furniture layout. This is a scrappy loose sketch so no need for an architecture degree.

Space Plan Evaluation

Evaluate the efficiency of your home with a few questions.

  1. FEELING: How does my home feel when I enter and how would I like to feel when I enter my home?

  2. ORGANIZATION: Do you feel organized? Do you have storage issues?

  3. SPACE: Are there rooms in your home that are not in use? For example; a spare room with random furniture, a creepy basement, narrow alcoves, oddly shaped closets?

Here is a 3 step guide to answering these questions to make adjustments and improve the everyday functioning of your home.

  1. Think about a restaurant, cafe, hotel or B&B you visited and felt like you could live there. Write down everything you loved about that space. The more details, the better. What was the scent like, what were the colors, materials and fabrics like, was here a views, did you hear music? Which of those can you add to your home to bring you that same feeling you admired so much?

  2. Do you have areas in your home where stuff accumulates or unfinished spaces that are at the bottom of the to-do list? What about where your essential items are located? Pay attention to your “flight paths” and the “dumping grounds” around your home. How about collections, are they prominently displayed or packed in boxes for someday when there’s space for them? Create a list any frustrations and inconveniences that arise from navigating your home. Keep this going for about a week to be sure to capture the day in the life of you as best as possible. Quick solution: add a decorative basket of your choosing to the “dumping ground” area to eliminate the visual clutter.

  3. Got a spare room for your “I might need that someday” stuff? Are you short on space let alone have storage for extras? Believe it or not, these are solutions to both of these design dilemmas. Take a tour of your rooms, closets, drawers, cabinets, creepy basement, shared storage space, odd nooks and crawl spaces throughout your home and make list of each space and what is currently occupying these areas. Write a wish list of spaces you’d love to have for a collection, a hobby or every day use. Quick solution: start moving like items together to get a proper assessment of how much space you will need to for your new area. Use this method for decluttering a space to create a functioning office, guest room, creative studio, craft room, game room, library with collectables… Happy assessing, sketching and shapeshifting your personal space.

Share your progress…

Feel free to share your journey, sketches, before and afters or ask a question. It’s not easy so just be patient with yourself and stay focused on your goal of creating a highly functioning space. Organizing your home will create peace and productivity to your life and it will be worth your efforts.

Need more…

One-on-one design will reset your home and create a balanced lifestyle. Schedule your appointment for Design & Wellness Coaching to receive your personalized Roadmap Plan.

Rewording

in , ,

Do you remember being asked countless times as a kid, “what do you want to be when you grow up?”

I certainly do and I cannot remember what I said…probably something creative or strange, I’m guessing. For young adults the pressure is on and a well thought out plan for structure and stability are expected when this question comes in at 90 mph. What we wanted to do for the rest of our lives had better been good or we would be in for many follow-up questions with no way out. Kind of glad those days are gone. But wait…Fast forward through trials, errors, wrong turns and misjudgments to our own annual life audit which leads to the emotional beating up of oneself for a while. A common coping strategy may be something chocolate flavored or fermented. We all know by now that exercise and a healthy snack will keep us from our dark place, right? Yeah, that stuff usually follows the meltdown, but rarely saves us from it. Or there is always the advice from my feisty grandmother, “don’t look back if you can’t laugh, shithead.” (That’s her loving, lifelong nickname for me—not kidding, I have the birthday cards to prove it.) Anyway, at this point in the life audit, goals start to take shape and the vision boards get assembled adjacent to countless pro and con lists. “What do I want to do?” “Who do I want to be?” “What is my purpose?”

For some reason, these questions seem so strange to me today. As an avid pinner, I often use Pinterest as a vision board. It has become a mental break for me to look outside of myself to see beautiful products, ideas and lifestyles. It’s fun, but it can spill over and blur reality a bit.

This morning, I had a mini awakening and wanted to reword the question “who do I want to become,” and changed it to “who will I become from being me,” rather than what do I want to become. Arthur Ashe’s quote “start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can,” became more clear to me. If you think about it, “what you want to be” is like wearing clothes that don’t fit or planting lemon seeds and expecting carrots to grow. The phrases we use and the questions we ask ourselves and others are important so they need to be accurately worded.

Who did I become from being me? What version of myself will I become in 20, 30 or 40 years? It’s a journey not found on Pinterest boards. This is original and I am definitely still discovering new parts every day.

Happy New Year!