self care | CANDIED VIOLETS

Staying Healthy

Posted on February 28, 2017April 2, 2017 by babettebrown

(This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links)

On any given day we get up and go about our day as usual while being unaware of certain things we are taking for granted. We feel great, we feel we can conquer the world, we can do pretty much anything…. well, yes, sometimes we get a cold or the flu… but shortly after we recover and are back to bouncing through our days… and this goes on for a long time… until some day we wake up, and something is not quite right.

We think it will go away too, but it doesn’t, we press on with life like we are used to … until we figure this cannot be normal or we cannot go on like that and maybe then we think about to go to the doctor to get a checkup…

Well, for me life was pretty good in my 20ies and 30ies, I do have issues with my spine since I am a teenager but since I am a dancer I was able to keep everything pretty much in check through training and exercise during my 20ies. My 30ies I spent in my dance studios, growing the business, and running from one accomplishment to the next. I am a very motivated person, I never minded to work hard and I was proud of my achievements.

Now I am in my 40ies, I am as motivated as ever but suddenly my body responds differently to me than it did previously. My first reaction, as usual, was to be quiet about it and push through. But that did not go well in the long run, pain wore me down, especially emotionally, also something I was not used to since I got myself convinced I was superwoman – lol.

I went to the doctors and ended up with painkillers, some of them gave me side effects that frankly scared me and I stopped taking them. All of those experiences got me to the point that I started to rethink myself. I knew I could not go on like I did and I needed to take some ME time and slow down a little bit and accept that I need to start to approach myself and my goals differently. Self care is an important part of my life now and I would like to share with you some of the things that I feel are energizing to me, relieve stress and tension and bring me in tune with myself.

Acceptance: My best life lessons were taught to me by my dad. If I would call him for advice or even complain about certain situations, his response was to laugh at me…lovingly. He told me – well I know you would like it to be different, but this is how it is – and you have to shift your little head around it and accept it. Otherwise you will just be miserable.
Refocus: Also a life lesson from my dad. If your vision of things is to narrow you need to step away and change your perspective. Make your viewpoint wider and look at things differently than just one way.
Sleep: There is a difference between being lazy and actively resting. I need to make sure I rest and sleep and have some space and time to shut down and recover.
Exercise: In my case I need to do my exercises regularly to keep my body moving and not getting even worse. I am trying to do things that I can enjoy, in my case a new gym outfit can go a long way – lol
Enjoy time with my pets. Animals and pets are great for the soul, they have a way to make you happy and calm.
Cuddle up in pajamas and watch a cute movie
Take a bath
Cook a delicious, home cooked, healthy meal, set a beautiful table and enjoy it
Create a beautiful environment for myself, redecorate, clean up and organize something
Read Positive affirmations
Write down 10 things you are proud of and you love about yourself
Learn something new
Learn to never speak bad about yourself
Breathe and trust your instincts
Do not worry at all about what other people think

I hope I could give you some good ideas, and if it is just to inspire you to always take good care of yourself, even if right now you feel like superwoman. Take some time, get to know yourself and your limits and enjoy your life and everything to can do at any stage in your life.

I would love to hear if you have tips and stories as well

xoxo BB

My morning routine

Posted on February 17, 2017April 2, 2017 by babettebrown

(This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links)

Good MOOOOOOORNIIIING! Well, who knows me is aware that mornings are not so easy for me. I am just NOT your morning person and in all honesty, Coffee is what I am really looking for when I am getting up – lol!

Today is another rainy day in California and I want to share with you my personal morning routine. It really does help me to get a good start in the day. It also keeps me focused and I can enjoy the day with minimal amounts of stress because I feel prepared for what I will have to do and accomplish.

Try to get out of bed quickly – now this is a hard one for me but it’s kind of like jumping into the water. You just have to do it, then it is ok..
Open the blinds and make my bed. There is something about making your bed in the morning and not just leaving everything in a mess, it is kind of the first organizing task of the day and it makes you feel put together and ready for the day. I also love to know that at the end of the day I get rewarded with a nice place to retreat and rest.
Brush my teeth and wash my face. Goes without saying…
Drink a glass of Lemon Water. I know everybody says you should do it but it really works. I love water with lemon actually at any time but it really makes a difference to start your day with it because it rehydrates the body and flushes the digestive system.
Take the doggies out for a walk – by now Coco and Stella are already jumping up and down – they know it’s time for their morning walk. It get’s me out to breathe some fresh air and move a little bit.
Feed the pets – OMG their excitement of getting food amazes me daily. They are soo cute and make me smile so much.
Have Coffee and Breakfast – FINALLY!! Coffeeeeee – yaaay! I must say I am a luck girl because my husband makes me coffee and breakfast every day. My advice is – don’t skip breakfast! It has many health benefits to take that time and it helps to get your metabolism going!
Have some time to do something for yourself (Yoga, Positive Affirmations, Reading, Gym) – I know, time can be tight in the mornings, but even if it is just 5 minutes to read some positive affirmations or you have the luxury of making it to Yoga or the gym, any of these self care rituals will make a difference for you.
Make a To Do List for the day – Stop right here! Before you start to rush to get ready and out the door, make a to do list. It will get you focused and take some of the stress away because making a list is not only a reminder of what you need to do, it also helps you with prioritizing. Nobody can get EVERYTHING done every day, so choose your most important points and calmly go after them.
Get showered and dressed – the best way is to already have planned out what to wear the night before.
Make Up – Yes – put that new lipstick on and strut it off – a little glam doesn’t harm!
Off to a great day – Feeling good – looking great – Let’s go – have a wonderful day everybody!

This is how my mornings look like – how about yours? Tell me about it!

xoxo BB

Some easy stretches with Stella..

Posted on February 9, 2017April 2, 2017 by babettebrown

Let’s stop for a minute…. breathe… it’s time for ME TIME – yay!

For all of you who think they are too busy to fit some self care and fitness into their day, I have great news – It doesn’t have to take much time to do something for yourself!

I would like to share with you a few very simple stretching exercises I love to do. You will see, afterwards your body feels better, little aches and twitches will disappear, tensions will calm down and you feel great and continue your day.

And Stella wanted to be there too of course, she loves it when I exercise, she has to participate…

Here is what you will need:

(This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links)

A Yoga Mat:Forever Pink Yoga Mat (3mm), Gaiam Sol Dry-Grip Yoga Mat (5mm)

Sit on your yoga mat, put your feet together and let your knees fall apart. Grasp your feet with your hands. Make sure you are sitting on the front part of your sitting bone and keep your back straight. Keep breathing and gently bend from your hips forward, and let your upper body relax. Keep breathing and let your own body weight gently extend your position.

2) Lay on your back and stretch your legs out. Bend one knee and grasp it with your hands. Gently pull it towards your chest. At the same time watch out that your other leg stays on the floor and your knee stays straight. Hold for a count of ten and then pull your knee across your body. Make sure your other leg and shoulder stays on the floor. Be gentle, let the body weight do the job, keep breathing and count to ten. Repeat with your other leg.

3) Sit up with your legs straight and make sure you are sitting on the front of your sitting bone with a straight back. Breathe in and gently bend forwards from your hips. Try to grab your toes with your hands, if it is not so easy, just simply place your hands on your legs as far forward as you can. Keep breathing and let your body weight pull you down. Make sure your knees are straight and your legs stay flat on the floor.

4) Sit up, bend one knee and place your foot across the other leg. Take your opposite arm and place your elbow across your knee. Make sure you are sitting upright on the front of your sitting bone. Take a deep breath and gently twist your shoulders and upper body towards your knee. Repeat to the other side.

Thanks for stretching with Stella and I, we enjoyed it very much, I hope you too. Contact me for tips and pointers,

xoxo BB 🙂