Guest Post: Have a Plan to Grow

Question: How do you grow if you are not aware that you want to grow, that you need to grow or have a plan to grow?

Answer: You don't, not efficiently or in the way that may be most beneficial to you. 

It's true that you may grow organically by your everyday experiences, interactions, successes and failures but what if I told you that you can target your growth and make it benefit you in ways that you never imagined.

This is where awareness comes in.  

Think about it, if you become aware of how you want to grow and take steps toward that growth, isn't it better than just hoping that what your life experiences will lead you to grow?  

Even then, you can't take control and direct the growth.  You may grow in an area that does not benefit you, which is a waste of your valuable time. 

So take control of your personal growth by taking a few minutes to become aware of how you want to grow.  Then think of the steps of what you need to do to get you to grow in that direction.  You will find that this awareness allows you to focus your energy and efforts toward a path of positive growth that is most beneficial to you.

As a Life Coach, I can help you focus on these areas of growth, clarify your goals and options, set you on a path of success and then keep you accountable to the actions that will get you where you want to be.

Feel free to contact Paul and stay tuned for other tips for a life of success. 

Guest Post: You CAN Make a Difference by Paul Ledebur

In this time of big corporations, big governments and big problems many people are frustrated with the world around them.  The frustration is heard time and time again in conversations and on social media.  

When the question is asked, “What are you doing about it?”, often the answer comes in the form of the question, “What can I do?”  If people would simply put emphasis on a different part of that answer/question, it takes on an entirely different meaning.  Put the emphasis on the “Can” and say “What CAN I do?” and it becomes a statement of intentional action. 

Making a difference in this world is no easy task.  It’s a big world and, as I said before , it has big problems. Does that mean we should just give up?  

NO!  
It just means that we need to take action, work hard and make sacrifices to Make a Difference.  Many people will go through this life and never make a difference.  They will accept whatever hand they are dealt and react to the situations in life the best they know how.  This is one strategy to get through life.  

However, why just accept what is given when it’s possible to go out and get what you really want.  Mediocrity is not something that people strive for but it is what happens over time for some.  Life’s pressures can be great and can slow personal progress.  However, once you identify your values and decide to Make a Difference, the intent to take action comes alive.  The passion builds and the ball starts rolling.  Once momentum is achieved, it is almost impossible to stop.

The way I’m making a difference is to try and make the world a better, happier place by helping others achieve their goals.  Am I taking on everyone at one time and expect this to happen overnight?  No!!  This is a lifetime journey.  The task would be too big for me to do in a day, a year or even a decade.  

It’s okay that that your “Difference” may not happen overnight.  I also try to spread good will by saying something nice to the people I encounter during my day.  This lets them know I care and hopefully they leave feeling better than prior to seeing me.  

That good feeling is spread by them to another person and so on.  The small gestures I make can travel exponentially to others and spread further than I could imagine. 
That is my way of Making a Difference.

John F. Kennedy said, “One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.”  If you think the problems of the world are too big for you to Make a Difference,
ask Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King, Jr. what one minority person can do about inequality; ask Bill Gates, what a college dropout can do to change the way the world interacts with computers; finally ask the family of Alexandra Scott, Founder of Alex’s Lemonade Stand, what a six year old diagnosed with terminal cancer can do to cure a disease.  
Each one of these remarkable people were at one time, one person that decided to Make a Difference.   

It takes all of us committed to Making a Difference to solve the problems of the world.  Some can be solved quickly and other will take a lifetime and beyond.  With the right attitude and commitment, we can do it.  Believe that wholeheartedly and the difference you make could be the one that changes the world. 

As a Life Coach and Leadership Coach, I will help you identify your values and stand up to Make a Difference for yourself and the world around you.  Contact me for one-on-one or group sessions.  Mastermind Groups are starting all the time. Paulledebur@yahoo.com

       

Beauty Weekend: The Perfect Palette by Pixi

#EnchantedEngchik Beauty Weekend!

Wanting to have “options” on vacation is a nightmare when trying to pack smart because 10 shirts, 7 pairs of pants, 12 sets of shoes, and a whole lot of makeup is difficult to fit in your bag for a 4-day trip. 

Who knows if you want a smoky eye, a “no make-up” makeup look for the nights you’re feeling low key, or 5 different bronzers depending on how tan you get. Don’t get me wrong, sticking to your basic primer, foundation, concealer, and powder makes absolute sense, but for the girls who love exploring different blushes, highlighters, eye shadows, and lip colors should invest in products that have all of those in one single package! 

That is why I have been reaching towards Pixi Beauty’s Book of Beauty. This palette is convenient and absolutely perfect for the summer because of how glowy, neutral, and pigmented the shades are. The book comes with two blushes, two highlighters, and four different eye shadow colors. 

The blushes can be worn together for a peachy-bronze look or on their own for either a matte finish with the peach shade or a luminous finish with the bronze. 

The highlighters come in a pearl-colored shade, perfect for the inner corner of your eye and a bronze-colored shade that can be used on the high points of your face, such as your cheekbones, the bridge of your nose, and your cupid's bow. 

The eyeshadows can be worn alone or mixed together for a custom shade that only requires you to bring this one palette! Whether you create your own, buy one from the drugstore, or splurge on a name-brand, palettes are totally in this summer and will make packing one less thing you have to worry about. 

#EnchantedEngchik

by Guest Blogger EM!

Hello July! Try These Epic Ways to Relax

July’s Goals

It's hot! It's the seventh month! It's high summertime!

My swimming pool! Pic by engchik

Get an ice cream at the beach- hello super icy pop or a Chilly SpongeBob, or my favorite- the frozen-brick-hard chocolate eclair bar.

FIREWORKS! Don't miss them this weekend!

Stake out a sweet spot by the pool- and stay there all day! All you need is a gallon or three of water, sunscreen, trashy magazines, some yummy snacks. and an epic novel.
Curb up on your blanket under your sunhat and you’re set.

Leave the phone in your bag, 

No need to Instagram the pool (ok, the pool, but please no hot dog legs. So over that,but let's see a shot of your metallic tootsies or your cute bathing suit ;) I'm engchik on instagram!

My Goals for July are to relax! 
Enjoy my summer! 
Stay under budget!

Reading and relaxing and sipping- my favorite! Pic by engchik

At the beach and enjoying it- with my mom here!

Do These 12 Things for a Productive and Happy Weekend

You made it to Friday night!! SO PROUD OF YOU!!!

What do you have planned? Add these little tweaks to your weekend routine and feel great!

Weekend Tips:

Drink 5 glasses of water Saturday and 6 on Sunday.

Get 2 hours of sunshine on Saturday and on Sunday.

Visit a loved one this weekend.

Ride a bike, take a walk, or go for a swim this weekend.

Clean out the pantry and plan 2 meals for the upcoming work week, and cook one healthy meal this weekend.

See friendw this weekend.

 

Picture by Chad R

Support the local farmers market.

Have a locally made, artesian drink or coffee.

Delete 100 emails.

Declutter and take three bags of stuff to a charity shop.

Take a nap.

Sunday- pack your lunch and set your clothes out for Monday, along with your gym bag.

What else should we add?

Book Review: Big Girl: How I Gave Up Dieting and Got a Life.

I loved this book. It’s the story of Kelsey Miller- a Refinery 29 writer, book author, and an awesome chick on the way to self-acceptance and Intuitive Eating. Happiness and fulfilling life, too, if we may be so bold to say.

She ties together her tale of childhood attempts at acting, family, show tunes, diets that worked, didn’t work, and were just plain upsetting as she carves out the niche that is her New York life as well as calming the voices in her head (that we all have!)

Kelsey has pioneered the Anti-Diet Project and is taking back the beach the way she wants to- as we all should. An interesting point raised in the book was that with every diet- she  can’t wait til it’s over.  

Who doesn’t want the diet to be over so that you can get back to ‘normal’ life. She recounts her life of her dysfunctional family, scary diet coaches, good friends, and food in many forms. This story does not end with her wrapping everything up neatly. Mostly of the time, Kelsey can’t even find the ribbon, let alone wrapping things into a bow. But she is trying.

Kelsey’s story is raw, sad, scary, triumphant, illuminating, joyous, and felt like I had a friend confiding in me. I cried with her losses and identified with her panic attacks and cheered with her successes, and was inspired by her hard work when she really focused.

Author Kelsey Miller, Picture from Amazon.com

From getting those ‘oh, we’re SO happy a girl like You could be a part of this fitness weekend (cue head tilt and quick glance over her bod)!’ Kelsey’s body- to others is plus size, to people who have called her obese, to those whom she is a true friend and family member too-
it’s a grim nod to the fact that so many people judge the book by its cover. Feeling positive about your body is a GREAT THING no matter any person, any gender, any size.

I’m sure many people will identify with her story, her journey, if you will, as she grows up and lives her life according to her rules, not anyone else’s for once.

Isn’t that what it’s all about anyway?

You Need to Try These 5 Ways to Celebrate June, Plus Celebrating Milestones!

Happy June 1! I Cannot believe we are here already! This is already shaping up to be an epic month! 

I have a milestone birthday this month, as well as celebrating a wedding with some family this month.

So many great things coming up, I cannot wait!

May- Came in under budget!

Decluttered!

Mindfully-ate so that I wasn’t blindly going for food if I needed a pick me up.

Hubby and I both got crazy sick with a sinus infection and colds and other yuck, but we pulled thru just in time for June 1!

June Goals:

Spend more time outside

Stay under budget

Celebrate my 40th birthday in the coolest way possible!

Sleep more

Work harder at my day job

Continue to eat more mindfully and eat more organic produce- it really does make a difference!

What have you on the agenda for this month?

5 Ways to Celebrate June

1.          Make a smoothie with in-season ingredients- avocados, strawberries, bananas.
2.          Have a shot of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a glass of water with raw honey.
3.          Take a day trip and try new cuisine.
4.          Have breakfast in bed- enjoy fresh squeezed juice, rustic toast and organic jam, and snuggle in after enjoying breakfast.
5. Give thanks for what you have, take a deep breath in and breathe out, and listen to your body- what do you want to do with June?

·          

7 Things to Do this Spring!

Read lots of books!

1. Donate 7 unread, unused books, 7 un-played-with toys, and 7 unused or worn kitchen items, and find new and double-duty uses for ones you have
2. Donate 7 unworn-barely used articles of clothing and/ or shoes
3. Donate 7 household items that you do not use
4. Find 7 News Ways to enjoy your town- a walk down a different road, drive home a different way, shop at a different store
5. Cook / create/ make new recipes for meals- snack, smoothie, full dinner, whatever- be creative and answer the question- what are you hungry for?!

   

   Cooking is a great way to connect and feel good about yourself. Mindfully eat. 

6. Listen (and maybe dance !) to 7 new songs on the radio or on your smartphone
7. Connect with 7 friends that you see a lot or haven’t seen in a while!

Throw a party! See your pals! Be silly!

Duca Photography: Preserving the Wedding of Steve & Christine in 2015

Duca Came Through in a Big Way on Our Big Day

It was April 17, 2015—a big day for Stephen Trimble and Christine Tarlecki.

Soon to be Mr. and Mrs. Trimble, the couple had all the details sorted, and it was time to get ready for the nuptial festivities. My groomsmen had all arrived at our condo, and Christine, her bridesmaids, and her parents were all getting ready at her family’s home.

Then Tony—my photographer—showed up. Right away, he took charge of the situation, for which I was extremely grateful. He even helped me with a piece of my tux that wasn’t cooperating. He led us through several shooting situations and poses, and made us all feel at ease as we took shot after shot.

I had a sullen 12-year-old as part of my contingent (my cousin), and Tony had him laughing and smiling as we went through all the needed shots. Tony even helped me incorporate my beloved Chow-Chow Leo into some pictures.

In a little while, it was time to go and meet up at the church. One of my groomsmen, Jimmy, thought to pick up some sandwiches at a local deli, and we munched them in the parking lot as we waited for it to be time to go inside. Of course, Tony got some shots as we ate, and they made for some of the more entertaining photos.

Now, as we went into the church and made ready for the ceremony, I was really getting nervous. It was a bit of a blur from here, but I caught sight of Tony and the girls’ photographer, Cassie, as they took shots of the church, the guests, the clergy, and the entering bridesmaids. 

I'm nervous and ready!

Finally, my bride walked down the aisle, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her—and neither could anyone else. Both Duca photographers got some fantastic shots as she entered and approached the altar.

After the ceremony, we were able to get photos of the entire group of guests as well as the bridal party. Soon, however, it became apparent that there was a problem with the limousine, and we weren’t going to be able to ride in it to our other photo location or the reception. “No problem,” said Tony, “Bride and Groom, get in my BMW, and the rest of you follow us in your cars.” Problem solved!

We all met up at the beautiful Valley Forge Park, in full spring bloom, and quickly were able to take hundreds of beautiful shots there. These are easily my favorites of the bunch, as the natural setting complemented our dress and comportment.

From there, it was off to the reception. Both photographers captured the action masterfully as we danced, drank, ate, and sang. It was truly a magical evening, and I’ll never forget it. Thanks to Duca’s skill and professionalism, we have nearly a thousand memories we can look at any time we like as the years pass.

Thank you Duca Studios, and Tony and Cassie!

By Stephen Trimble, special correspondent