Tag: life

“What’s For Dinner?” Meal Planner — Digital Download Available

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Take the Stress Out of Mealtime with the “What’s for Dinner Meal Planner”!

Struggling with the age-old question, “What’s for dinner?” Let this meal planner help you organize your meals for the week with ease! Whether you’re meal prepping for the week or just trying to save time, this planner is designed to make your life easier and your evenings more enjoyable.

✨ Features:

✔ A weekly layout to plan your dinners

✔ Shopping list section to streamline your grocery shopping

✔ Easy-to-use and printable design

Perfect for busy families, meal planners, or anyone looking to save time and reduce stress in the kitchen! Just print it out and start planning your week—say goodbye to last-minute dinner chaos!

CLICK HERE FOR DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

What’s Included:

• 1 High-Quality PDF (8.5×11”) – Ready to Print

• 1 PNG/JPG File – For Digital Use

Make mealtime simple, organized, and stress-free!

Feng Shui Tips For Your Purse To Attract Positive Energy And Abundance

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Your purse is more than just a place to carry your essentials—it’s a symbol of your wealth, energy, and personal flow.

In Feng Shui, the way you organize and care for your purse can influence your financial abundance, opportunities, and overall sense of harmony.

By treating your bag with intention, you invite prosperity and positive energy into your life. Ready to align your purse with good fortune? Here are some simple yet powerful Feng Shui tips to keep your bag (and your energy) in balance!

1. Choose the Right Purse

• Opt for a purse in colors associated with prosperity, such as red, gold, green, or purple. Black is also considered a powerful color for attracting wealth.

• Avoid worn-out or damaged purses, as they symbolize financial instability.

2. Organize Your Purse

• Keep your purse clean and clutter-free. Chaos inside your purse can block energy flow and symbolize financial disorganization.

• Only carry what you need to avoid unnecessary weight, as a heavy purse can symbolize being burdened by financial stress.

3. Use a Wallet for Money

• Invest in a high-quality wallet that reflects your respect for money.

• Keep cash flat and organized by denomination, as it symbolizes order and attracting more wealth.

4. Include Wealth-Attracting Items

• Place a small piece of citrine, jade, or pyrite (known as “fool’s gold”) in your purse to symbolize abundance.

• Carry a red envelope (hongbao), which is a traditional Chinese symbol for good fortune. You can put a small amount of money in it for prosperity.

5. Keep Important Items Only

• Avoid carrying old receipts, expired cards, or unnecessary items that may symbolize financial “baggage.”

• Only include things that spark joy or serve a purpose.

6. Treat Your Purse with Care

• Store your purse in a clean, elevated space when not in use. Never leave it on the floor, as this symbolizes disrespect for money.

7. Affirm Abundance

• When placing money into your purse, consciously express gratitude and visualize more abundance flowing into your life.

*COLORS* And Their ENERGIES

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Here’s a list of colors and the energies often associated with them, drawing from psychology, spirituality, and cultural symbolism:

Warm Colors

1. Red – Passion, energy, courage, strength, love, and determination. Can also symbolize anger or intensity.

2. Orange – Creativity, enthusiasm, joy, adventure, and vitality. It’s energizing and inspires social connections.

3. Yellow – Optimism, clarity, intellect, confidence, and warmth. It’s linked to happiness but can also represent caution.

4. Gold – Abundance, success, power, enlightenment, and spiritual wisdom.

Cool Colors

5. Green – Growth, balance, renewal, harmony, and health. It’s connected to nature and abundance but also envy.

6. Blue – Calmness, communication, trust, serenity, and loyalty. It represents introspection and emotional depth.

7. Turquoise – Healing, clarity, refreshment, and spiritual attunement. It’s linked to creativity and protection.

8. Purple – Intuition, spirituality, royalty, mystery, and ambition. It connects to higher wisdom and imagination.

9. Indigo – Perception, introspection, truth, and integrity. It’s associated with deep contemplation and the third eye.

Neutral and Earthy Tones

10. White – Purity, peace, clarity, simplicity, and new beginnings. It can also signify spiritual enlightenment.

11. Black – Protection, mystery, power, and sophistication. It represents the unknown and transformation.

12. Gray – Neutrality, balance, wisdom, and maturity. It can evoke calm or detachment.

13. Brown – Stability, reliability, grounding, and connection to the Earth. It signifies warmth and wholesomeness.

14. Beige – Practicality, simplicity, calm, and understated elegance.

Vivid and Ethereal Tones

15. Pink – Love, compassion, nurturing, playfulness, and romance. It’s soothing and tied to gentle emotions.

16. Magenta – Transformation, self-respect, emotional healing, and spirituality. It’s a blend of red’s passion and purple’s depth.

17. Lavender – Tranquility, grace, intuition, and femininity. It has a soft, calming energy.

18. Silver – Reflection, intuition, sensitivity, and lunar energy. It’s linked to the feminine and the mystical.

19. Copper – Creativity, grounding, and connection to Earth’s energy. It symbolizes warmth and transformation.

Bright and High-Energy Tones

20. Teal – Renewal, emotional balance, rejuvenation, and open communication.

21. Lime Green – Freshness, energy, and spontaneity. It carries a youthful, vibrant feel.

22. Coral – Joy, nurturing, and positivity. It bridges the energy of pink and orange.

23. Scarlet – Passion, vitality, and strong determination. It’s a fiery and intense color.

Rare and Mystical Colors

24. Violet – Spiritual connection, inspiration, higher purpose, and transcendence.

25. Crimson – Power, courage, and deep passion. It has a regal, bold energy.

26. Peach – Warmth, comfort, innocence, and friendship. It evokes a gentle, sweet nature.

27. Ivory – Elegance, calm, and spiritual purity. It’s softer than white but retains a sense of lightness.

Where Do We Draw The Line?

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Recently, I watched the movie Coraline and a YouTube video on Taoist philosophy, and both left me reflecting deeply on human nature and our constant craving for more.

In Coraline, the children lost their souls, not because they didn’t have enough, but because even when they were given everything they desired, it still wasn’t enough. A chilling thought, isn’t it? This dark and haunting animation earned an Oscar for a reason—it shines a light on something real and unsettling within us. (I throughly enjoyed this thought provoking movie.)

Similarly, the Taoist philosophy video explored how this endless quest for “more” leads to stress, burnout, and withdrawal from peace. Or, like in Coraline, it can even cost us our souls—though perhaps not in a literal sense, but in how we lose touch with ourselves, our purpose, and what really matters.

Do you see the connection?

So, where do we draw the line? When do we step back and say, “I’m good. I have enough.”

I believe awareness is the first step. Developing an awareness of these traps—this cycle of more, more, more—can help us catch ourselves before we fall deeper into it. But awareness isn’t always enough. We need something more substantial: an armor to protect us from the constant pull of these traps.

How do we build that armor? Honestly, I wish I had a straight answer. But what I do know is this: it starts with doing the inner work. Looking at yourself—really seeing yourself. Asking the hard questions about what you truly need versus what you’re chasing out of habit, pressure, or comparison.

It’s not easy. It’s uncomfortable, messy, and often takes time. But I believe learning to “draw the line” isn’t just something we need—it’s something we all deserve. A chance to reclaim our peace, to step off the hamster wheel, and to say, “This is enough.”

(YouTube video in case you’re interested— click here )

Cheating Is Not The Way

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Have you ever cheated on a test before? I have—more times than I’d care to admit. There’s one particular instance in high school I’ll never forget. I was copying a friend’s answer to a question about food safety, and her response was, “When in doubt, throw it out.” Makes sense, right?

Well, I mindlessly wrote, “When in doubt, pull it out.” Facepalm. I wasn’t even paying attention to what I was writing—I just copied without thought.

The teacher called me up to the desk and had me read my answer aloud. I was mortified. Thankfully, I had a sense of humor, even back then, so I was able to laugh at myself. But that moment stayed with me because it taught me something deeper about the value of truly learning.

When you cheat, you’re not really learning or engaging. You’re just skating by, collecting answers without understanding the questions. Sure, you might pass the test and move on to the next level, but sooner or later, you’ll find yourself lost and wishing you had put in the effort to learn the material.

Life, in many ways, is a test. Every challenge, every struggle, every moment of uncertainty is part of the curriculum. And God, as our ultimate teacher, doesn’t just hand us the answers. Instead, we’re equipped with an inner compass—a moral guide—to navigate this test of life. That inner guidance helps us grow, reflect, and savor the victories when we earn them.

If we were simply handed all the answers, we wouldn’t understand their significance. The struggle to figure things out, to fail, and to try again is what shapes us. It’s what gives life its richness and depth.

So don’t cheat your way through life. Don’t be afraid of the “bad grades,” the setbacks, or the moments when you feel utterly clueless. These moments aren’t failures—they’re lessons. They’re the building blocks of wisdom and resilience.

Take the test of life with open eyes, an open heart, and a willingness to learn. Because the journey is the real reward. At least that’s what they say.

Back To Basics

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Give a child a cup of plain vanilla ice cream, and they’re going to light up with delight. “Yummy! This is so good!”

Now, the next time, you offer them ice cream—but this time, you’ve added sprinkles. They love it even more.

Then you take it a step further: a scoop of ice cream with sprinkles, whipped cream, and a cherry on top. Of course, it’s the ultimate treat!

But what happens when you go back to offering just plain vanilla ice cream? They refuse. “Where are the sprinkles? The whipped cream? The cherry?”

What once felt like the best thing ever—just vanilla ice cream—has now become “boring.”

This scenario isn’t just about ice cream. It’s playing out all around us, with everything.

In a world constantly trying to one-up itself, we’ve forgotten how to appreciate the simple things. We keep piling on sprinkles, whipped cream, and cherries in every area of our lives—whether it’s material possessions, experiences, or even the way we seek validation from others.

The problem is, when we get caught up in all the add-ons, we lose sight of the essence. We stop noticing the “ice cream” itself. Its flavor and joy are drowned out by all the extras.

This is why “going back to basics” is so important. At first, it may feel dull or underwhelming. But over time, you start to notice the richness in simplicity—the way life was meant to be enjoyed.

Not everything needs sprinkles, whipped cream, or cherries to be special. Sometimes, the simplest things, enjoyed as they are, hold the most joy. Save the extras for rare, special moments—and watch how the beauty of the basics begins to shine again.

Order Is The Antidote To Chaos

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I was listening to a podcast the other day with Andrew Huberman and Dr. Jordan Peterson. At one point, Dr. Peterson said, “Order is the antidote to chaos.”

I just loved that.

Synonyms for order include words like sequence, organization, and arrangement. Synonyms for antidote are remedy or cure.

Ponder that for a moment: Order is the antidote to chaos. Organization is medicine for disorder, disarray, and confusion.

In other words, take a look around—what does your home look like? Your car? Your desk? Your bedroom? Even more importantly, what’s going on in your mind?

The cure is decluttering. The cure is setting a routine. The cure is giving everything a home. The cure is embracing the philosophy of less is more. The cure is, quite simply, to “get your life in order.”

As a mother of four, I’ve learned just how necessary order is in our household—not only for myself but for my children and their well-being. They may not fully understand the impact of their surroundings, but I do. When there’s order, there’s peace, and that peace benefits everyone in the home.

By establishing order, it’s possible to alleviate, or even eliminate, things like anxiety and depression—or at the very least, to minimize them. A great reward awaits when you take the responsibility to bring order into your life. It isn’t always easy, but it’s absolutely worth it.

Take the time to find order, and you’ll discover more clarity, focus, and peace.

If You Never Fail, You Never Grow

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I recently started reading Different Kinds of Minds by Temple Grandin. It’s incredibly insightful and thought-provoking. In one part of the book, she shared a fascinating rat study. Researchers found that rats who had to dig up their treats became far more resilient when faced with challenges compared to rats who were simply handed their treats.

The rats who didn’t have to work for their reward gave up more easily when obstacles appeared.

What an eye-opening observation!

This speaks to a universal truth: challenges and failures aren’t bad things—they’re vital. They build strength, resilience, and perseverance. Struggle teaches us to appreciate the rewards of our effort.

The hard work, the setbacks, and even the failures are what shape us. They’re the chisels that carve out our character and growth.

So remember, with growth comes failure—and that’s how it’s meant to be. Failure isn’t the end. It’s a stepping stone to something greater.

Finding Wholeness In YOUR Story – Your Trauma

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Traumas in your life are the very difficult emotions that you processed alone.

Reread that, and think about that for a moment.

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A trauma that I have been healing from for the past couple of years now has been my adoption story.

I was adopted into a family with no connection to any of my biological relatives. I felt incredibly alone for many, many years. Discussing my adoption was taboo; it was as if I were an apple tree trying to grow in an orange grove, and nobody ever acknowledged that I was, indeed, different.

It wasn’t until 29 years later that I met any of my biological family. That’s 29 years of trying to process everything by myself. It’s been a journey—a lifelong one—and it still is.

When I had my own child, I truly believed I could finally put my adoption story behind me. I thought I wouldn’t feel so alone anymore. And, in a way, having my daughter did bring healing, but only temporarily.

Then, when my daughter was 10 months old, we fostered and later adopted my sister-in-law’s daughter, who was just one year old at the time. While fostering her, so many repressed emotions resurfaced—emotions I had buried deep within myself for decades. They came flooding back, sending me into a depression. I couldn’t escape my story. I couldn’t escape myself. I couldn’t escape “adoption/adoptee/adopted” And I hated it.

I didn’t want to feel this pain anymore, but I had no idea what to do. I just knew I could no longer ignore this. Now having a new type of adoption story with actually adopting I knew this had to be dealt with. And I knew if I wanted to be the mother that I wanted to be to my children then I had work to do.

Eventually, I surrendered and accepted that this really was a part of my identity—not my whole self, but a huge part of me. And that’s when the healing journey began.

The traumas we experience cannot be erased, but we can learn how to identify and understand them. Only then can we begin to heal from them.

One way to begin healing is by acknowledging what you went through, validating your experience, and sharing it with others. It’s not enough to think about it in silence. You need to talk about it. Take what’s swirling in your mind and articulate it into words.

For years, I thought I was alone, but I’ve learned through my own journey that I never really was. I’ve also learned how many people out there suffer in silence, just as I did.

I want you to know: You are not alone. There’s so much strength in sharing your truth, in finding connection through the pain. Healing doesn’t mean erasing your story; it means finally allowing yourself to be seen, to be heard, and to be whole.

Becoming Mindful Of Your Emotions

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Emotions are a natural part of us, but they don’t define our entire being.

I once heard an analogy that made me chuckle: Emotions are like children. You don’t want them driving the car, but you also don’t want to stuff them in the trunk. This humorous but insightful metaphor reminds us of the delicate balance between acknowledging our emotions and letting them take over.

It’s crucial, maybe even vital, to validate our emotions. A simple but powerful step is naming what you’re feeling out loud: “I am angry because I feel like nobody is listening to me in this house.” Saying it out loud gives the emotion space to exist without consuming you. It’s like holding it up to the light and saying, “I see you, and I understand why you’re here.”

Too often, we seek validation for our emotions from others because we haven’t been taught how to validate ourselves. But here’s the truth: no one else can fully understand your inner world the way you do. Learning to recognize and name your emotions helps you build a bridge between feeling and understanding.

When we fail to acknowledge our emotions, they can turn inward, manifesting as self-blame, self-doubt, or even shame. Unchecked, they can become a storm that clouds how we see ourselves and the world. But when we practice self-compassion and emotional mindfulness, we create space for healing and growth.

This practice is also deeply tied to valuing and loving ourselves. When we learn to be gentle with our feelings instead of silencing or avoiding them, we show ourselves the same compassion we would offer to a friend. It becomes easier to navigate life with emotions as our passengers—present and acknowledged but no longer in control.

Emotions, however, can be powerful guides. Each one has something to teach us—if we’re willing to listen. Sadness might remind us of what we cherish or have lost. Anger can show us where our boundaries feel crossed. Joy reveals what brings meaning to our lives. They’re not the enemy—they’re messengers.

By taking this approach, we can steer through life with greater clarity and peace, no matter how strong the waves of emotion may be.

If we do not work on repairing and understanding ourselves, we cannot help repair or understand others.

“All behavior makes sense with enough information.”

Reminder: YOU MAKE SENSE.