Water Meditation

Hello All, Have you ever tried a water meditation? I tried one last Sunday and it was AWESOME!!! You basically do it in the shower or the bath tub. I found one on YouTube by The Honest Guys. The meditation plays water sounds and music and you feel the water and you make a mindfulness meditation. The meditation is a relaxing way to get you ready for bed. It is a good way to wind down at the end of the day. This type of meditation, as well as other meditations is very healing. The more you meditate, the more healing you can get. It is also a good way to keep calm if you have anxiety. So if you're ever looking for a good way to relax or a new meditation, I'd recommend a water meditation. Drop me a comment below if you've ever tried one and let me know what your experience is with one. Keep meditating, Destiny

Meal Plans

Hello All! This next post is about meal plans. I have recently lost almost 20 pounds and was looking to tone up my body. So I read up on how to exercise/eat to tone your body being I've never done it before. While reading up I realized I needed a certain percentage of foods from each food group each day in order to tone up and flatten my body. So I have started creating meal plans and this past week is the first week I have tried it. Let me tell you, for someone who has never done this before, meal planning is hard! Trying to get the right amount of food from each food group and plan recipes that you can use more than once, is harder than it looks. But I finally settled on a CrockPot vegetable soup for my lunch and dinner meal and my own concoction of carrots in grits for breakfast and it worked out nicely. Have you ever tried to meal plan? How did it go for you? Drop me a comment below to tell me about your experience! Happy Planning! Destiny

Money Saving Tips

Hello All! So, I thought I would start this blog post by asking a question: Do you have any money saving tips? I ask because I love saving money! Who doesn't right? So I am sharing with you a money tip that I learned from somewhere else. The tip was to save all of your fives and then use them when you go on vacation. I was not a fan of saving my fives because I tend to spend my fives. So what I did instead was to save my ones every time I got them back as change. Let me tell you this has been a great tip for saving money. I have consistently been saving my ones for a while now and at first it doesn't seem like much is going to come of it, but then, BOOM! All of a sudden they add up! I counted my ones last weekend and had $108 dollars. I have gotten more ones as change and these ones are going to bring me to a grand total of $114 dollars. I don't remember how long I have been doing it but I have been doing it for a few months now and that has been a lot in just a few months time. So, drop a comment below and let me know if you like this money saving tip, have tried it yourself or have any different money saving tips. Happy Saving, Destiny P.S. Sorry to all my readers for the lack of pictures. I made a vow to make my blog better by breaking it up with pictures. I am new to blogging and it is my understanding that pictures make for easier reading. I have looked at other blogs and found this myself. I would like to include more pictures, but when I do the picture shows up as HTML code. I have no way of connecting or getting in touch with Blogger support for help on this issue. I tried asking the community and somebody tried to help me, but what he suggested didn't help. I have a number of other issues especially with the new interface. If anybody has any clue about how to work this new interface, drop me a comment and I'll give you more details on what I am having trouble with. Thanks for understanding! - Destiny

Changes/Make-up

Hello All! So, if you are reading and following the blog, you know by now I do three blog posts a week. However, I have a full-time job and the demands of my job, plus trying to keep up with three blog posts a week are getting to be too much and too time consuming. So, I will be cutting down to one blog post a week. Now that doesn't mean that freebies and (hopefully) thought provoking questions are out of the question. I will find a way to combine all of these into one blog post, rather than three seperate ones. Now, there may not be freebies added on every blog post, but if a freebie idea comes to me and a blog topic lends itself to it, then I will gladly post a freebie for you to sign up for, when you sign up for the blog. Anyway, now that that's out of the way, I can start on this week's blog post. Now, onto my post for the week. So, the last couple of days I have been doing a lot of thinking about make-up. I tend to have a love-hate relationship with make-up. My stance on it usually tends to change, depending on whether or not I am trying to convince myself if I should use it or not. I'll go through periods where I'll be for make-up because not putting it on means you are "not confident" and using shows you "don't care." And more often than not I'll feel like "what is the point of make-up," "why do women have to wear it and men don't," and how come everyone else is so good at it and mine looks like crap!?" The other day I was leaning towards the latter arguement rather than the former and it got me to thinking, and I hope it will get you to thinking to and I hope that it will start a conversation and some people will comment or have an opinion on this one way or the other. I am going to address some of the questions and thoughts I have about make-up and I am wondering if any of you feel the same way? The first thought I want to address is "why does make-up make me feel ugly?" Do any of y'all feel this way? Please comment below and tell me I am not the only one! For the longest time I did not wear make-up on a regular basis and would only wear it for special occasions. Now, I have a position, that requires me to look professional and while make-up is not a required part of the dress-code, in my mind, if I define professional dress, make-up is included as part of the look. So, now I wear make-up everyday and give my face a break on weekends. But everyday, when I put on my foundation I am now highly aware of how red my skin n is and how much I need to cover up the redness/acne on my skin. Thus, making me fell as if my regular skin is ugly. I looked to the Internet to see if I could find some answers and also to confirm that I am not the only one that feels this way. Most women I know do not feel this way and a few women on the forums where other women have asked this very question have said in a nutshell "I love make-up, what's not to love!?" But still others feel the same way I do and a lot of people respond by saying it is because you are insecure on the inside and have not accepted your body/skin for the way that it is. Which makes a lot of sense to me. Others have said that maybe you are not doing it right, which for me is a high possibility. And some others have said that covering up has made you aware of the flaws on your skin, that you need to cover up. Which I feel is true for me also. I feel it is a combination of all three of these for me. So, tell me, is it like this for you? Surely I cannot be the only one that feels this way. Share your thoughts in the comments below. The next thought I have is "what is the point of make-up?" I mean seriously, what is the actual point!? Can someone help me out with this one, because as far as I'm concerned, there is no point. A lot of women like to argue that "you'll never find a boyfriend if you don't wear any make-up!" But I call BS! Men have stated over and over again, that they much prefer us without make-up, so what's your next excuse? I mean who invented make-up in the first place? Seriously!? Why do we need this stuff. I think I missed the day in girl school when they explained the purpose of make-up because I have absolutely zero understanding of what it is actually for and what are you accomplishing by putting it on? A lot of women also argue the point that it is supposed to accentuate your features, but this point is lost on me as well, due to the fact, as I stated above it only serves the purpose of making me feel ugly. Can someone explain this to me!? My next question is a question that I am sure has been on the minds of women for years: "Why do women have to wear it and men don't?" This seems like a very sexist double-standard that our society has come to. I think plain and simple - if men don't have to wear make-up to look "pretty," then neither should women. End of story. And finally, "why does mine look like crap and everyone else's looks great?" Again, I missed the day in girl school where they taught you how to put on make-up. Without fail, everytime I put on my foundation it looks cakey. Why? It doesn't matter what I do either. Whether I apply with a brush, sponge or my fingers, it always looks cakey. NO. MATTER. WHAT! My eye shadow always looks like an eight year old put it on and my lipstick looks like I got make-up lessons from an old granny! But yet I see all of these make-up tutorials and their make-up looks flawless, EVERY. SINGLE. TIME! Why!? Help! What am I doing wrong? How did you learn how to do make-up? Any tips and tricks anyone wants to give up? Drop me a comment below and let me know! Well this has been a rather long post. Hopefully it was an interesting post and made you think. Am I the only one that has these problems? Am I the only one that feels this way about make-up. Seriously guys! Let me know! Clueless with Make-Up, Destiny

Fun Freebie Friday

Hello Everyone! It's another Fun Freebie Friday! Today's Fun Freebie is a simple one. If you subscribe to my blog you will start getting my newsletter! That's it! No games or gimmicks, just a newsletter! So, enjoy this little freebie for signing up for my blog and you will be glad that you did. Keep Reading, Destiny

WONDERful Wednesday

Hey! Hey! It's another WONDERful Wednesday! Today's question is: Do you believe in syncronycity? I ask this question following my post on angel numbers. I asked on Monday about angel numbers and today I am asking syncronicity. Syncronycity and angel numbers are similar but different. Angel numbers are just a series of repeating numbers. Syncronicity is repeating names, words or phrases. Sometimes I see things that repeat over and over again. I get sucked into this sometimes believing it is syncronycity. Then, nothing really happens and I realize it can't really be real or something would come of all of these repeating names or phrases. Like angel numbers these only seem to occur in times of intense stress for me. So, what it your answer? Drop me a comment and let me know! Have a great day! Destiny

Are Angel Numbers real?

Hello Everyone! So, I feel like this post is going to get a lot of controversy, so I'm just going to see how it goes. So as many of you know, there is a fairly new New Age phenomenon called Angel Numbers. Basically it is where you keep seeing the same numbers over and over again and are supposedly sent as messages from your angels. Typically these numbers are triple digit numbers such as 111,222,333 and so on and so forth. However, these are not the only numbers you can recieve. You can recieve any number and it has a specific meaning attached to it. So for example, you may recieve a number like 11 or 9 or a random number like that, that you keep seeing everywhere. So for instance, I keep noticing every time I look at the clock it is either 11 past the hour, 13 past the hour, 15 past the hour, 33 pat the hour or 44 past the hour. Almost everytime without fail. I have also started noticing 10 past the hour and another number I notice a lot is 69. And just for fun I look up what these numbers mean and they seem to coorelate with my life, but also at the same time, the message in them never seems to come to fruition. So, this leaves me wondering if any of this is true? Is there a message to be had in these numbers or is it just a coincidence? I mean surely all of these numbers can't mean something. Also, I have OCD, so I just have to wonder if this is not some sort of side effect of OCD and just looking for the numbers because I have determined that these numbers mean something. And confirmation bias also plays a part in this as well. Your brain is wired to look for patterns. If you look at an 11 and decide you are going to see it everywhere, your brain is going to continue to look for the number 11 and will find it everytime. Also, everytime I see these numbers I usually end up misinterpreting the supposed "message" and end up with a huge problem on my hands. Not only that, these numbers only seem to show up in times of stress and usually create more stress for me. So, I have take to calling them Devil Numbers. The Angels know what you want, but the Angels and God are not the only ones that can send you signs. I feel like the Devil can do it too, just to distract you. I feel there is more of a reality to something that is a message from God or an Angel. For example, a break-up, loss of a job, loss of a loved one or close friend, a car accident, etc. These to me are more signs from God and he is telling you to look at your life and figure out what you are doing wrong and change something about your life. I feel like God is not going to send you a random meaningless number. The other thing about Angel Numbers is that they are supposed to go away once you get the message. Well I looked up what the message meant and they are still here, so why does it not go away? I am not sure if I am totally for or against Angel Numbers either way. Like I said these numbers match up with my life, but how can this possibly be real? They are just numbers after all. I don't know, drop me a comment and tell me what you think or if you experience Angel Numbers as well. Think about it! Destiny

Fun Freebie Friday!

Hey! Hey! It's time for another Fun Freebie Friday! This one is for all of my Disney fans out there! Have you ever wondered which Disney princess you would be if you were in a Disney princess movie? I've always felt I would be Belle or Elsa. If you want to find out just sign up for my blog and you'll get the quiz. Then I'll send you your result! Have a Magical Day! Destiny

WONDERful Wednesday!

Hello All, It's time for another WONDERful Wednesday. This week's question is: Did you have a dream last night and what was it about? So, oftentimes my dreams are rather weird, as is many of y'all's I'm sure. Last night I dreamt that I had gotten a boy and girl set of twins new to my class at the end of the year. And they knew absolutely nothing! They were basically three year old infants. And I had to teach them literally everything in the four weeks that was left of school in order for them to move up to the next class. Good thing it was just a dream, because it would be very hard to catch a three year old up on life that didn't know anything! I looked up what it means to dream about twins and apparently it means that big changes are afoot and I need to prepare myself for them and I hope that is true because I am ready for some change in my life. So, tell me, what was your dream? Do you think dreams mean anything or are they just a dumping of the day's events like everyone says? Do you interpret your dreams like I do? Do you dream in color or black and white? Do you dream at all? Let me know your answers in the comments below! Sweet Dreams, Destiny

Letter from my future self

Hello All, Today I thought I would start by writing a letter to my future self. Dear Destiny, Hello, from the future. I am here to tell you about all of the things you have accomplished in the future. You have finally moved away from home. You are beginning a new chapter in your life. You are working on finding a better paying job and you getting closer to that goal. You are also working on finding love. You should meet someone that is a perfect match for you very soon. You are finally working towards what you want and you are getting all of it handed to you very suddenly. All you have to do is keep working and you will have everything you ever wanted. I hope you continue to pursue your dreams and as LeAnn Womack said "I hope you dance." Because no one ever got anything accomplished from sitting still! Keep Moving, Destiny Okay well, that was a rather short letter, but it helps me set out my goals for myself and helps me to remember to keep going, no matter what. What would your letter say? Drop me a comment and let me know! Keep Moving, Destiny

Fun Freebie Friday

Hey! Hey!
It's Fun Freebie Friday! First, I would like to say, Happy Fourth of July! This freebie is just for Fourth of July. It is perfect if you have kids or even if you have adults who want to discover their inner child. This freebie is a Fourth of July word scramble. All you have to do to start the word scrambling fun is to sign up for my blog and I'll send it your way!

Happy Fourth of July!
Destiny

WONDERful Wednesday

Hello All,
It's time for another WONDERful Wednesday. Today's question is:

What is your guilty pleasure?

My answer to this question is to listen to old 90's music from my childhood. You know the 90's music I'm talking about: Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, The Backstreet Boys, N'Sync, The Spice Girls and The Macrarena. These are all songs I grew up with and all kids of my generation were obsessed with these people and their songs. I can remember going to sleepovers and all of my friends pretending to be the Spice Girls. I always wanted to be Baby Spice. These songs bring back good memories of my childhood and I think that is why I continue to listen to them. Drop me a comment and let me know what your guilty pleasure is.

Keep Being You,
Destiny

Video Games I love

Hello Friends,
So, this post is all about video games. I play video games every night. All of my games are Kinect video games, so I use them for exercise. Here is a list of my top ones:

1. Zumba
I love all of the Zumba video games for Kinect. The Zumba video games, like any Zumba DVD's or a live Zumba class are very high energy. They are a lot of fun to do and a great way to burn calories. Usually I burn at least 200 calories each workout, sometimes more. The best part is, you dance and you don't even realize you're working out. Also, Zumba throws in moves from classic Latin dances and usually touches on a variety of all different types of dances. If you've never tried Zumba before, you should give it a try and see what you think.

2. Just Dance
Just Dance is great. I dance with several dance video games, that are all basically the same format: you dance with an avatar and the more accurate your moves are the better score you get. The thing that I like the best about Just Dance is you do simply that - just dance. It does have a star scoring system like all the others, but the stars are off to the side where you can't see them, and your score doesn't matter as much. Just Dance doesn't focus as much on accuracy of moves or how many stars you get, it is more focused on fun. That's why it ranks above the others, because while the others are fun, some of the fun is sucked out of them by focusing on stars and accuracy. Also, you can customize your playlists and create a 40 minute routine, a 20 minute routine and a 10 minute routine. So, if your looking to have the most fun, Just Dance is right for you.

3. Dance Central
Dance Central is much like the others in that you have to follow the avatar and then get points based on the accuracy of your moves. Dance Central is slightly more complex than Just Dance. When you start a dance there is a spotlight under your avatar giving you feedback on the accuracy of your moves. Also, off to the side is a boom box that keeps up with the stars that you have earned. Underneath the boom box is your score. Inside the boom box is a 1X, 2X, 3X or 4X, which means your score is either normal, double, triple or quadruple the points that you are warning based on the accuracy of your moves. At the end of your dance it shows you your stars, score, the accuracy of your moves and how many jewels you earned for getting a flawless or an almost on your spotlight. There are also "flash cards" off to the left of the screen that show you which moves are coming up. If you get really good at a particular dance or level, eventually it the "no flash card" option is unlocked and you can choose to play without "flash cards." The great thing about Dance Central is it challenges you in several ways. First, some of the more complex dances are locked. In order to unlock them you must do good on some of the other dances to be able to play the more complex ones. This can be a challenge in it of itself, because some of the dances you have to do several times in order to get a high enough score to get another dance unlocked. There are also challenges that have to be unlocked and then the challenges usually mash-up several songs together, so you have to be prepared for the challenge to change moves quite frequently. Also on Dance Central there are different levels offered for each dance. So, each dance offers a easy, medium and hard level. On one of the versions a beginner level is also offered. The dances are also offered from easiest to hardest, so you can choose dances based on your skill level. Also, they offer pre-made playlists so you can just keep dancing, instead of having to stop in between each song. So there are many facets and complexities to Dance Central, which makes it an interesting game to play and it is never boring.


4. Country Dance
This one is for all those Country music fans out there. I like this one for the sheer fact that it is a country themed one. However, I wish this one had some features that the others have. This one does not have levels like Dance Central has and came become boring very quickly, because it is the same dance over and over again. This dance also keeps up with accuracy of moves much like the others do and will give you bullet points to show you the percentage of how accurate each move was. I also, wish this game had the option of making a playlist. I hope that they create other versions of these games, just to give the first one more variety. If you’re looking for a simplistic game, this one is for you. Just realize that this game will not offer a lot of challenge.

Well, that’s it! That’s all of my video games for this list. I hope you enjoyed this list. Drop me a comment and let me know which ones are your favorite.

Happy Gaming,
Destiny

Fun Freebie Friday!

Hello All,
It's time for another Fun Freebie Friday! So, are you ready to make big changes in your life, but not sure where to start? Well, this freebie is for you! I have created a worksheet and some guidli es for helping you make a roadmap for whatever goal you want to achieve. Whether it is weight loss or just transforming your life, you can plug in what you want into my free roadmap worksheet and you will have a plan to get you on your way to a better life. So what are you waiting for? Subscribe to my blog and get your free roadmap today!

Keep Transforming,
Destiny

WONDERful Wednesday

Hey! Hey!
It's time for another WONDERful Wednesday! Today's question is:

What is something you spent money on that was truly life changing?

So, my answer is really simple: therapy. I have recently, within the past year started seeing a therapist who has worked wonders with me. She has helped me work through many of my issues. I am eternally grateful to her and can't thank her enough. So, drop me a comment and let me know the answer to my question.

Have a WONDERful Wednesday!
Destiny

How to have a self-care Sunday!

Hello All,
Today we are talking about a Self-Care Sunday. There are many ways you can do this, but I am going to tell you how I do mine and you can choose how you want to do yours based on my tips.

So, to start I usually get up about 6:30 on both Saturday and Sunday. Now, for those of you that like to sleep in on the weekends may feel like getting up at 6:30 is a bit much, but from my experience getting up earlier makes me feel more productive. So I start with that and then I do so e yoga. Usually I'll do between 20 to 30 minutes of yoga to get me calm and focused on Sunday morning. If you've never tried this, it is well worth it. Next usually I'll do a meditation and then some more spiritual stuff, like read a devotional, the Bible or say a prayer. Now if your not particularly spiritual or religious, you can just do something that works for you. That's it! That's my whole routine. That's usually about an hour and a half of my day. Now, if that seems a little long to you or you can't seem to fit that in, of course you can shorten the routine and do what fits for you. Anyway, this is a great way to start your day and a great way to take some weekly self-care!

Now I realize that you all are seeing this on a Monday, so what I am urging everyone to do is this coming Sunday, try it and drop me a comment and let me know how it went.

Take Self-Care!
Destiny

Fun Freebie Friday

Hello All,
It's another Fun Freebie Friday! This one is for all of my teachers out there. So, if you are a teacher you know that you have students that just do weird things. And you wonder...why do they do that? If you wrote it down, you might be able to see a pattern and figure out what they were doing it for. I have mad a chart to do exactly that. At the top of the chart you will see A, B, C. That stands for antecedent (what happened before to behavior occurred), behavior (behavior displayed) and consequence (consequence administered). After keeping up with this for a few days you will be able to figure out exactly why your student is doing what they are doing and meet those needs. It is also useful if you want to use it for your own kids. If you want it just sign up for my blog and I'll send it your way.

Happy Teaching!
Destiny

WONDERful Wednesday!

Hello,
Today's WONDERful Wednesday question is:

What is your greatest strength?

We as human beings always have so many strengths, but they ususally get down played because we are so busy looking at the negatives in ourselves. My greatest strength I feel is the ability to stay quiet and listen and observe. A lot of people have always told me that I am a great listener. Recently I posted about being an introvert. Being an introvert can come in handy because the quieter you are, the more you learn about people. It's a great way to figure someone out. As you get better at figuring people out you can know rather quickly if someone is a good fit for you or not. It is a great quality to have, especially if someone comes to you to talk about something that is important, they will know that you are always listening. What's your answers to the question? Drop a comment below and let me know.

Thanks,
Destiny

Introverts

Hello All,
Today's post is about introverts. This is a topic I know something about, because I am one. I feel as an introvert, you get misunderstood. A lot of people mistake my quietness for coldness. They assume I am mean or am not friendly, simply because I am quiet and do not interact with others as readily as an extrovert does. I feel this is an unfair categorization. I feel if you just give me a chance or talk to me you will find out I am none of those things. Sometimes I prefer it if other people approach me, rather than the other way around, because it takes pressure off of me to partake in an awkward conversation. If you approach me and talk to me you will find an easy-going person, that just wants a friend. I find this is the case with most introverts. I also find that a kind word and a warm smile goes a long way towards helping an introvert come out of their shell. So, the next time you run into someone that doesn't seem very warm, offer a hello and see if the person surprises you. Are you an extrovert or an introvert. Drop me a comment and let me know.

Always be a friend,
Destiny

FUN FREEBIE FRIDAY!

Hello All!
Today is another Fun Freebie Friday! Today's freebie is for those of you who have kids out there. Do you have a hard time getting your kids ready in the morning or getting them to follow a schedule? A good thing to help is a picture schedule. They will know exactly what is coming up next and exactly what they have to do each day. With this free printable you can put it where they can see it and know what is coming next each day. If you want to get really fancy you can laminate it and put Velcro on it and they can take each card off as they have completed each task. Just subscribe to my blog and you'll get it!

Happy Scheduling,
Destiny

WONDERful Wednesday!

Hello Friends!
It's time for another WONDERful Wednesday! Today's question is:

Did you use your time wisely today?

I ask this question because I have had a hard time managing my time lately. Just recently I have come up with a system of making a schedule and setting alarms and that has been working out nicely. I feel like I stay more focused if I know I only have a certain amount of time to do something. So, in answer to my question: Yes, I feel like I used my time wisely today because I have gotten so much done today. I am still working on time management, but getting there. Drop me a comment and answer my question. Also, let me know what your time management issues are.

Keep on going!
Destiny

Travel Bucket List

Hello Folks!
Today I thought I would talk about my travel bucket list. There are so many places I have been to and there are so many places I have never been to that I would love to travel to. Although there are many on my travel bucket list these are the too 5 places I would like to travel to:

1. Paris, France
Paris has always fascinated me even as a little girl. I am not sure what it is that draws me to Paris. Perhaps it's the Eiffel Tower, the city's most iconic landmark. The cool thing about the Eiffel Tower is that there is a restaurant on the first floor. I can't imagine how beautiful the view would be from there! Paris is exciting and I hope to go someday.

2. London, England
I think most Americans are fascinated with English or British people. I also have this fascination. I don't know what it is about English or British people, maybe it's the accent. I realize that usually it is rainy and dreary here, but I know it is a lovely city. I would like to go here on New Year's Eve when they have the special New Year's Eve celebration at Big Ben. I think it would be a cool thing to see.

3. Italy
I think Rome would be the obvious city choice, but I definitely want to see the Leaning Tower of  Pisa if I were ever to go there. Italy is one of my picks, definitely for the food! Amazing brick oven pizza, gelato and the best pasta dishes around! Yum! Count me in!

4. Spain
I don't think there is a particular city of interest in Spain, but it's just a place I've always wanted to go. Being that I know a little bit of Spanish, I of course would want to try out my Spanish speaking skills. I think the thing I would like to see the most in Spain is the Flamenco dancers.

5. Ireland
I think Ireland would be a fun place to go. I would love to see step dancers in Ireland. A river cruise would also be cool. Exploring castles in Ireland would be a fun way to pretend to be a prince or princess for the day. Ireland has many attractions and it seems like a great place to go exploring.

This is my list of the top five places I would like to visit someday. Drop me a comment and let me know where you want to go.

Happy Traveling,
Destiny

Fun Freebie Friday!

Hello! Hello!
It's time for a Fun Freebie Friday! Today's freebie will be a 10 day challenge. This challenge is a meditation challenge. Each day you will do a different meditation. I will send you a list of meditations for you to try. This should be easy because there are beau coups on YouTube. Who knows, you may do this challenge and you may want to do more. That's the point of a challenge! You challenge yourself and hopefully get something out of it. If you want the challenge, just sign up for my blog and I will send it your way!

Happy Meditating,
Destiny

WONDERful Wednesday!

Hello,
It's time for another WONDERful Wednesday! Today's question is:

What is your personal affirmation?

My answer to this question is "Be a better person." Eleven years ago I started on my self-improvement journey. My goal has been to change and evolve as a person. I started out just wanting to learn how to stand up for myself and that has taking me on an 11 year journey that has been ever evolving. Currently, I am in the hands of an excellent therapist and she has helped me tremendously on my self-improvement journey and I am continuing to grow and evolve with her in my corner. Drop me a comment and let me know your personal affirmation and your self-improvement story if you wish.

Keep Improving,
Destiny

Should I become a vegan/vegetarian?

Hello All!
Today I wanted to talk about the vegan/vegetarian diet. So about a year ago I was looking to go on a diet. Being that I have been on and off a diet since I was 10 and I have tended to take a long time to lose just 20 pounds, due to my weight fluctuating, I was looking to find something that was going to work and going to help me lose weight consistently each week. So, I took to reading a book we had in our living room called Skinny Bitch. I had no idea this book talked about the vegan diet, I just thought it would have tips in it on how to eat healthier. The book goes in depth into the food industry and how our food is really prepared. I was shocked and after reading the book I was determined to eat better. So, I made the decision to become a vegan. My family however was wary of this decision because they were worried that I would get sick following the vegan diet so, I took to the Internet to see what my options were as far as this diet was concerned. I ran across the term "flexitarian" which is for people who are unsure of the vegan or vegetarian diet or people who are transitioning to one of those diets. Now, it is my understanding that a lot of vegans/vegetarians turn their nose up at this term because they feel if you are going to commit, then you should commit all the way. I understand this viewpoint. After all if I was committed to something and somebody was doing something that seemed halfway or like a shortcut, I too would be upset at their decision to only do it halfway. However, this seemed like the best option for me because I was not sure about the vegan diet and I was unsure if I was going to be able to find all of these foods she described in her book at my local grocery store. Also, I didn't want to pull the rug out from under my feet and go so extreme so quickly and end up having health problems because of it and being that I am a picky eater already I didn't want to commit to something and then I can't eat because I don't like half of the stuff that is required by the diet anyway. "Flexitarian" to me also doesn't necessarily mean I am taking a shortcut, it just means I agree with some of the vegan/vegetarian diet and some of it I don't and I have made the decision just to eat healthier, or as healthy as possible and that's all it was really about in the first place for me to begin with. Anyway, you're probably wondering how I went about making this change and what were the results of the change. Well, first I started with a few small changes, like drinking more water and cutting out sodas, trying Silk and Silk yogurt and going meatless just one day a week. I then began cutting out other things like tea and coffee and now only drink water and Silk. It sounds hard, but once you cut it out, you find that you don't miss it. Anyway, I noticed that going on this diet led me to have more consistent weight loss and I was very happy with the results. On a typical diet I would yo-yo back and forth. The first week would be great because I would lose weight. Then it was a crapshoot after that. Then I would gain the pound I lost back. Then I would loose two pounds. Then I would gain one pound and on and on until a year later I was still struggling to lose just a measly 20 pounds. So, this diet seemed to work for me. Now at this point I have hit a weight loss plateau and have struggled to get the last four pounds or so off before I reach my goal, but I am working on it and I know I will eventually meet my goal. So, is the vegan/vegetarian diet worth it and is it right for me? Well I have had a lot of success with it and I would rather follow it in part, than to not follow it at all, but whether it is right for you or not is entirely up to you, your lifestyle and how you currently eat already. All I can do is give my opinion on it and give you some insight and you can take that information and make an informed decision from there. So, this is my experience. Drop me a comment and let me know if you are a vegan/vegetarian/flexitarian and how do you feel about it or how do you feel about the word "flexitarian" and people who identify as one?

Happy Healthy Eating,
Destiny

Fun Freebie Friday!

Hey! Hey!
Another Fun Freebie Friday coming your way! Today I will be sending you some free printable artwork. This will be great if you want a sign for a birthday party or if you just want something to decorate your walls with. The sky is the limit with these and you can use them for anything! This year the theme for my birthday will be boho. Now, as you can imagine it may not be as easy to find decorations for that birthday theme as it would be for a more common one like say the 70's. So I am creating these for those types of things, that you just can't find the decor for or you can, but maybe you want something unique. Sign up for my blog if you want it!

Happy Creating,
Destiny

WONDERful Wednesday!

Hey! Hey!
It's time for...you guessed it WONDEERful Wednesday! So the question this week is:

What good deeds can you do?

There are so many. Especially in times like these. A recent good deed that I did is I helped a dog at Costco. You see, my grandmother and I went to Costco and with the current pandemic going on, the line was out the door and a good hour long wait. So, we decided to go home and try again another day. As we were going home I passed a dog in a white van with no air conditioner on and the windows cracked a tiny bit. This day in particular was a hot day. So I parked and I went inside and asked if they had an officer on duty and the greeter said "No, but we have a manager." So, I explained the situation and the manager helped me. She tried to call the number on the tag twice, but there was no answer. So she told the guy that was collecting carts if no one came out in 10 minutes to call her on the radio and she would call the cops. So, that was my good deed for the day. Drop me a comment and let me know what is your good deed?

Keep being helpful,
Destiny

Memorial Day

Hello All!
As you all know, today is Memorial Day. Usually this holiday is filled with BBQ's and trips to the beach. However, this year Memorial Day looks a little bit different. The nation has started to open back up again some regular Memorial Day activities are able to still take place with a few rules in place, however, certain activities are not able to take place because of COVID still running rapid all over the world. Still, some people are getting creative in their endeavors to celebrate the holiday. However you spend it, I hope that each of you takes the time to remember what the holiday is really about. Remember those that have fought for our great country and those that have died trying to protect it. We live in a great country that is protected by the men and women who serve in the military. These great men and women, risk their lives to protect our freedom. My grandfather served in the military. He has since passed away, but I am grateful for the service that he provided for this country. So, I am asking you today, please thank someone that you know has served in the military and remember the ones that served and have since passed on, either in duty or just from natural causes. I, too, am saying "Thank You" today to all those who have served.

Thanks for serving,
Destiny

Fun Freebie Friday!

Hey! Hey!
It's another Fun Freebie Friday! Since, on Wednesday I talked about self-love today I will send you a self-love worksheet. Self-love is very important. It helps you to know your worth. The more you realize your worth the less you are willing to put up with what you normally would have before. Sometimes, there are so many facets of self-love it is hard to know where to begin. This worksheet can help you get started and give you some places to get started so that you are not so lost. If you want it all you gotta do is sign-up for my blog and I will send it to you.

Upwards and Onwards,
Destiny

WONDERful Wednesday

Hello All,
So, it's another WONDERful Wednesday! This week's question is:

What improvements are you making?

One big improvement that I have been making is on my self-love. I have been on my self-love journey for 11 years now. I have continuously been working on it and it is ever-evolving. I have been working with a therapist that has been a tremendous help to me and I have done nothing but steadily improve since seeing her. She has had a tremendous impact on my self-love journey. Self-love has become much easier with a constant support system by my side. So, drop me a comment and let me know about your improvements.

Happy Improving!
Destiny

Meditation

Hello All!
Today's post is about meditation! Many of you may be wondering what all the fuss about meditation if you have never tried it before. Some of you may have tried it and then found yourself making your grocery list five seconds in, which is completely normal. I want you to know that meditation takes practice. The more you practice it, the more you will get better at it. I have been practicing meditation for a while now and I can say first hand that it is a great tool for calming your mind, especially if you have anxiety. I always feel more centered after doing a meditation session. There are plenty of sessions on YouTube or you can buy CD's or a DVD on how to meditate. There are many options at your disposal for how to meditate. The sky is the limit! I hope if you are reading this that you will give meditation a shot and I hope you find meditation useful!

OM!
Destiny

Fun Freebie Friday!

Hey! Hey!
Guess what!? It's another Fun Freebie Friday! And I have a great one to give you today. So, I was thinking...I like quotes, I like crafts and I like free printables (LOL!) So I thought I would combine all three together for the next freebie. So what I will be giving you is a document of free printable quotes that are typed up all fancy and stuff. The purpose behind giving you these is so you can print them and then paint on them, cut them out and use as stencils on a painting, color them and frame them or basically whatever you want, the sky is the limit! Also, they may just get the creative juices flowing! Hopefully you can find some use for these quotes. All you got to do is sign up for my blog and they will come your way.

Happy Crafting!
Destiny

WONDERful Wednesday!

Hello All,
It's time for another WONDERful Wednesday! This week's question is:

What makes your pet unique or special?

So, to answer this question I will talk about my dog Zoey. She is special because we got her from a place in Louisiana called New Iberia. For those of you who are unfamiliar, New Iberia is a fur piece from Baton Rouge, where we live. Anyway, not only did we have to go a long way to get her, but she has made an impact on our lives in so many ways. She loves to run and do agility things. She loves to chase squirrels, birds and lizards. She also likes to flirt with boy dogs and she LOVES to play with balls! That is her favorite thing to do is play with balls! Anyway, that's my answer. What's yours? Drop a comment and let me know!

Sincerely,
Destiny

Inner Child

Hello All,

I was wondering if any of you do a behavior you don’t like and then keep repeating it over and over and wonder why you keep doing it? I also find myself in this trap. About a year ago I started seeing a counselor, that has helped me tremendously. She introduced me to inner child work. A lot of you may be wondering what inner child work is. I can help answer that question. So, basically all throughout your childhood you have events that happen to you that shape who you are for better or worse. So let’s say you tell someone “No” to something that you didn’t want to do and they respond by yelling at you. Cut to you as an adult and every time you go to tell someone “No” you end up people pleasing because of that one experience where you were yelled at for saying “No.” Then, you say you are going to quit people pleasing, but you find yourself doing it again and again. Why? Because you are “stuck” at that first age where you had that bad experience of saying “No.” So you must go back and talk to your inner child and tell him or her that it is okay to say “No” now and he or she used people pleasing as a defense mechanism to keep from being yelled at. Now you as an adult know of better ways to communicate with people and you know that being around people who yell at you for saying “No” are probably people you don’t want to be around in the first place. You may have to do this exercise several times for it to work. You can access your inner child through a meditation and there are several meditations on YouTube to get you started. Hopefully if you are feeling “stuck” this will help you to get “unstuck.” Hopefully this will help you to undo old patterns.

Keep Moving Forward,

Destiny

Fun Freebie Friday!

Hello All!

It's another Fun Freebie Friday! So, since it's summer I'm offering a Summer Checklist. Lots of fun summer things to do on this checklist! If you are looking for something to do, this list will help you out! I know things are rough right now, but hopefully you are still able to make the most of your summer. If you want the list, just sign up for my blog and I'll send it your way.  Also, drop me a comment and let me know if you tried any of these things!

Have a great summer!

Destiny

WONDERful Wednesday

Hello All,
It is time for another WONDERful Wednesday. This week's question is:

What is the last book you read?

Being an avid reader, this question comes as no surprise to me. In answer to this question, the last book I read was Unf*ck Yourself by Gary John Bishop. If you read this blog, you know that I have already touted this book once before in my very first blog post about 6 best self-help books for anyone looking to change your life. This book is a great book for exactly that. In the book Gary John Bishop gives you eight affirmations to live by. Not "fluffy" things like other self-help books like "I am a great beacon of light" but things more like "I am relentless." Now, I don't know about you, but I would rather live by "I am relentless" rather than "I am a great beacon of light." I mean what does that even mean anyway? So anyway, this is a great book because he walks you through each of these affirmations, what they mean and how they can change your life. I would highly recommend if you are looking to change your life. So, what have you read lately and did it change you? Drop me a comment and let me know!

Ta-Ta for now!
Destiny

Workouts I love

Hello Friends!

Today I am going to be posting about work outs. I know they are not everyone's cup of tea, but I like doing them and here is a list of my favorites.

1. Zumba

Zumba is a great work out. It is very high intensity. You are really dancing, so it is more like fun and less like working out. Now, a lot of people say Zumba will kill you. And they're right. But once you get used to it, you will have a lot of fun and burn a lot of calories doing so. There are tons of Zumba classes and ways to do Zumba at home available, so do some research and do some Zumba today!

2. YBB

For those of you who don't know, YBB stands for Yoga Booty Ballet. You can find these DVD's on Amazon. The work out is just what it sounds like and the instructors combine yoga, booty (cardio dance) and ballet altogether in one work out. The instructors make a fun and easy to follow routine and always start from the top and build the routine as they go to make it easy to follow. Do a YBB routine today!

3. X-Box

X-Box Kinect has tons of games to get you moving. I was turned on to these by a friend and loved them. I haven't stopped playing them since. I personally like, Dance Central, Just Dance and all of the Zumba ones. These games also burn a ton of calories like Zumba.

4. Pop Sugar workouts on YouTube

The last one I'll recommend is the Pop Sugar workouts on YouTube. They don't take a lot of time and there are a lot of 15 minute and 30 minute routines on there. They are a lot of fun and you get a great work out in a short amount of time. Also, a lot are no-equipment, so you can just start working out wherever you are. I just got turned on to these and they are fabulous!

These are my most favorite workouts. I hope you find this list helpful.

Happy Exercising!

Destiny

Fun Freebie Friday!

Fun Freebie Friday!
Hey! Hey!
So it's another Fun Freebie Friday coming your way! This weeks freebie is another 30 day challenge! This challenge is a kindness challenge. So, I know you have probably seen a lot of these on Pinterest and I actually got inspiration from some of those. I was hoping that this challenge would inspire us all to be a little kinder. There is a famous quote that says "Always be kind, for everyone is fighting a huge battle." I honestly don't know who originally said it because it has been cited by many different people. If anyone knows who the actual author is, drop a comment and let me know. But anyway, the quote is actually something that stands out in my mind a lot. Being a person that was bullied a lot and not really shown a lot of kindness, I know what it is like to be on the receiving end of some not so kind acts and so this quote is something that I strive to remember. Now, it's not to say that I don't forget from time to time or that we don't all forget from time to time, but it is very important to remember. I actually follow Juggling the Jenkins, which is Tiffany Jenkins FaceBook page and I was watching one of her videos the other day and she was talking about this same concept. Someone layed on the horn at her in a drive-through and she paid for their coffee. That was incredibly generous of her and is also a story that inspired this post. She basically talks about what I am talking about here: kindness. Kindness even when someone is rude. Kindness to strangers. Kindness to ones we know. Kindness because someone is always fighting a hard battle. Also, in times like these it is important to remember kindness. Kindness makes the world go around. So, if you are wanting to be a little kinder nowadays, please sign up for my blog and I will send you the kindness challenge!

Be Kind,
Destiny

WONDERful Wednesday!

Hello Wonderful Friends!
It's time for another WONDERful Wednesday. So, my next question is:

What do you want to tell yourself in one year?

Now, I know this may seem like an odd time to post this question. Why not at New Year's you say. Well I'll tell you. About a year ago I was going through a tough time. I won't go into any specific details, but let's just say I had hit rock bottom. And at this time if you had told me how my life was going to be a year from then, I would have looked at you like you were an alien with three heads. I look at my life now and how much it has grown and changed, I can't even believe the person that I was then. I don't even recognize that girl anymore. Who was she? Anyway, the reason why this is now and not at New Year's is because a year ago my life was complete crap. One year later, it is completely amazing. Now, I still have a ways to go in pursuing some of my dreams, but I am a far cry from where I was a year ago. And I am sitting here this year wondering what my life next year will look like. I can only imagine it will get better. So, to answer my own question, this is what I hope to say in a year from now - Wow! look at you with your teaching job and your house and now you have a great group of friends that support you and a great new boyfriend and you have a few best-selling books out, wow! what a year it has been. Hopefully, this is what I am saying in a year from now. Only God knows the answer to that question. Hopefully this post will act as a time capsule and I will look back on it a year from now and I will be saying exactly that. This past year took me to places I could never imagined and this next year will hopefully take me even farther. How about you? What does your year look like? Drop me a comment and let me know.

Keep Pushing,
Destiny

Yoga

Hello All!
I'm bringing you another blog post today! Today's post is about yoga. So, you've heard all about yoga, but you don't know if you should try it or not. There are many reasons why you should try yoga. Yoga is great if you have anxiety, because it helps you calm your mind and your body. It is also a great mindfulness practice. You have to concentrate on each move and use your breathing to get through each of the poses. Yoga requires you to slow down not only your mind, but also your body. Through slowing down and breathing you become more present. At first, yoga may seem hard. You may find that some of the poses are difficult or you may find that focusing on your breathing to be difficult. This is completely normal. In a world of screens and sensory overload, slowing down can be a difficult thing to do. As you practice and as you continue to do yoga, more regularly you will find it will get easier and easier. Your mind will focus and the stretches will get easier as your body gets more flexible. Something that is very important to remember about yoga is, it is just a practice. You are just practicing. There is no need to be perfect. Yoga is all about letting go. Letting go of tension, letting go of stress and letting go of worry. The more you keep practicing the better you will get at it. The more you practice you will get better at it. The more you practice yoga, the more that you will find that you can actually carry over the techniques you are practicing into your daily life. Yoga is great for all ages. Children as young as three can learn how to practice yoga. It is great for getting focused and centering the mind. The more you do it, the more centered you'll be. So, keep practicing and keep getting centered!

Om!
Destiny

What kind of freebies do you want to sign up for?

Hey Guys!
So, I have put up a brand new Twitter poll today. I am hoping to get more of a response on this one, because the last one generated no response (WOMP! WOMP! WOMP!) Anyway, still staying positive though! So, this poll is asking about what you want to sign up for. I have sent out a few Fun Freebie Fridays so far, but no one has signed up for my blog. So, I was wondering what you are wanting to sign up for. I am relatively new to this, so I don't know what my audience is most interested in. I am hoping to generate more interest with this poll. So, if you read this blog at all or if you like any of my posts at all, then please head on over to my Twitter page and vote in my poll. The link is at the bottom of the webpage. Also, if you don't want to vote you can always just drop me a comment here, or on my social media platforms so I can send you some content, that you really like!

Thanks!
Destiny

Fun Freebie Friday!

Fun Freebie Friday!
Hi Guys! It's time for another Fun Freebie Friday! So, what do I have in store for you this time? Well, I wanted to share my crafty side with you this time. A few years ago I made bows for craft fairs and also had online shops. I only sold a few bows and have beaucoup bows hanging around my house, so I thought it would be fun to show you guys how to make the bows that I made at craft fairs all those years ago. I am making a bow class for anyone interested. If you are interested all you have to do is subscribe to my blog and I will send you a new bow video each week for 5 weeks and show you how to make different kinds of bows. If I get enough interest, I may start making more video classes. So sign-up and stay tuned for fun video classes! In the meantime, watch this intro video that I made to show you what all the classes are about!

Take Care!
Destiny

WONDERful Wednesday!

Hey! Hey!
So, today is WONDERful Wednesday! What is WONDERful Wednesday, you ask? Great question! Starting today, each week on Wednesday, I will ask a question. The question may be deep and thought provoking or it may be fun and silly. The reason why it is called WONDERful Wednesday, is because I'm asking about something that I am WONDERING about! Get it! Anyway, drop me a comment to answer the question. So, since today we are talking about Earth Day and going outside I want to know:

What is your favorite thing to do outside?

My favorite thing is to play with my dog and enjoy nature! What's yours? Let me know in the comments below or on social media! I can't wait to hear your responses!

Have a WONDERful Wednesday!
Destiny

 

Happy Earth Day!

Hello All,

I just wanted to take the time to say: Happy Earth Day! Being that it is Earth Day, I am going to take this opportunity to talk about nature. Now, before you run away from the computer screen or your iPhone or whatever device you are reading this on, and think that this is another hippie dippie, let's love the Earth and go hug trees nonsense, just stop for a second and read this post.  

I am writing about how essential Mother Nature is to our mental health. We live in a world where our screens are king. Whether it's a T.V., phone or iPad - our screens are always on. With COVID-19 sweeping the nation, we are put in unusual circumstances at these times. We are probably spending even more time with our screens these days. Most of us, however, are using our screens for things like work and school, rather than to zone out on YouTube. But still in addition to going to work and school online, we may also be using our screens to zone out on YouTube, FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram and the like. 

Also, with stay at home orders now in effect, we are mostly staying inside now. This is certainly the case for me. I am a self-proclaimed "indoor cat." I have never been one much for going outside. I have never seen the draw and have always been more apt to stay inside and read a book instead. However, as of late, my sleep patterns have started to change. Consistently, every night for a week, I would go to sleep for a few hours, but not in a deep sleep. Then, like clockwork between the hours of 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. I wake up and cannot for the life of me go back to sleep. Or if I do it is usually an hour or half hour before the alarm is going to go off. So, after a week of this, I had had enough! That's when I asked my therapist about it and she suggested going outside. Not only going outside, but participating in an activity called earthing. Earthing is where you put your bare feet on the grass for a little while and really get connected with the Earth. Not on concrete, but on grass, real natural Earth. So, I took her suggestion and went outside and lo and behold! I slept so much better that night.  

Also, what has helped me is getting off of my screen an hour before bedtime. The other benefit of going outside is that it really does help with anxiety. If you don't believe me about this, try it! Make note of the state of mind you are in when you are inside looking at a screen and then go outside. Then, make note of what it is like when you are outside. I bet you are calmer and more focused. If you are not sure if there is a difference, go back inside for a few minutes and pay attention to your mind again. I guarantee you, you will see a difference! This is when I notice, when I come back inside. My thoughts are rushing around in my mind like a great white river. All of a sudden, when I go outside they disappear. Then, as soon as I come back inside, there are all of my thoughts, right back in my head, rushing around again. It is amazing the difference what a few minutes outside can do for your mind. Also, I was scrolling through Pinterest and I came upon a quote about this very thing that I wanted to share with you. The user that posted this is named ledbethlin. This is what she said:

"Do you know what I love? How closely nature is linked with mentality. A walk in the woods can calm anxiety, sitting and dropping stones into a lake can ease anger, even taking time to pot some plants and look after them can keep your mind occupied from dissociation. It's like the earth is the oldest psychiatrist of all, and it is always there to talk to, giving me a constant free prescription. Isn't that beautiful"

That is an amazing quote and so well written. It basically sums up the point of this article. So, to celebrate Earth Day, get outside and soak up some sun, plant a tree or plant or take a nature walk and just enjoy Earth's beauty. Today is the perfect day to do all of that. What are some creative ways you are enjoying Earth Day?

Happy Earthing,
Destiny

What do you want to read?

Fun Freebie Friday

Fun Freebie Friday!
Hey Guys!
Today is another Fun Freebie Friday! I have a great freebie for you today. It's a 30 day challenge. This challenge is a self-improvement challenge. Each day you do something that goes towards self-improvement. All of these things are things that I have tried that have helped me on my self-improvement journey. Some of these things are put in there in the hopes that you'll continue them beyond the thirty days and make them a new daily habit. Hopefully, if you continue past the thirty days you'll start to really make great progress in your life. If you want to get the challenge, all you need to do is subscribe to my blog and I will send it to you!

Self-Control Games

Hello Folks!
Today I thought I would post some simple self-control games that teach little ones, well self-control. Since everyone is stuck at home, this is the perfect time to teach these games to your little ones! Let the games begin!

1. The Skittle/Marshmallow Game
You may have seen this one before. Researchers have conducted this experiment with several different children, seeing which children have the most self-control. Basically for this game all you need is a bag of marshmallows. Now, since marshmallows are a choking hazard for children 3 and under if you have littles, you may want to use Skittles instead. The game works like this: You give your child one marshmallow or Skittle, then you set it in front of them. You see if they take the Skittle/marshmallow or not. If they don't take it, wait a few minutes and then give them another one. Give them as many as you want depending on your threshold for hyper children after eating all that sugar! I ended up only giving mine five. The idea is the more self-control they have, the more Skittles/marshmallows they will get. If they have the best self-control they will get all five marshmallows/Skittles. If you have more than one child you can make it a game to see who gets the most and who has all of them when you are done playing the game.

2. Don't Wake the Dragon!
The next game is a lot of fun. It's called Don't Wake the Dragon and it goes like this: One child or person is chosen to be the "dragon." Another child or person is chosen to put a "key" or object close to the dragon without waking them up. Each person or child takes a turn trying to get the "key" without waking the "dragon." If someone accidentally touches the "dragon" the "dragon" has woken up and a new person becomes the "dragon" and play starts over again. Cycle through all of the players until each one has gotten a turn to be the "dragon." If no one wakes the "dragon" after cycling through all of the players, then you can keep going until the "dragon" wakes up or the current "dragon" can trade places with someone and make that person the new "dragon." It's great to see who has the most self-control!

3. Walk the Line
No, you do not have to sing the Johnny Cash song that shares it's name with this game! This game is very simple. All you have to do is put a long line of painter's tape on the floor and pick a leader. All of the players have to follow what the leader does while walking on the line. Another way to play this game is to have each player walk the line individually while performing a certain action. For example, let's say the action is to "walk like a whisper." The person or people on the line have to walk as quietly as possible the whole time they are on the line. This would be especially challenging self-control if your child or children are "Chatty Cathy's!" You could use any kinds of actions you want. Some actions may include: walk like a lion, walk like a cloud, walk like an airplane, hop like a bunny or walk like a princess. There are many others you could use, just use your imagination, because the sky is the limit! This helps with self-control because the person has to stay on the line while performing the action. Also, particular actions may be harder for some children.

4. Red light, Green light!
This one is pretty self-explanatory as most people know how to play this, but just in case you don't here are the rules: One person is chosen to stand on one side of the room. Everybody else stands on the other side of the room. The person at the end yells "Green Light!" Once "Green Light" is announced the people on the other side of the room begin to walk towards the person on the other end of the room. At any time, the person can yell "Red Light!" At which point the players must stop walking towards the other player. If a player falls or doesn't stop, they must return to the beginning. Play continues until the person at the other end of the room is tagged. Once that person is tagged the person that tagged them first switches places with them and they become the caller. This is a great thing to teach bodily self-control because you really have to control your body when the person calls "Red Light!" as to not fall over or to stop, so you don't have to start over.

5. Walk through tape
This game does not have a fancy name and it is pretty simple to play as well. Basically, you put painter's tape on the floor and you want to criss-cross it look like a spider's web or something similar. The idea is to leave gaps in between the tape for your child to walk through. You pick a starting point and an ending point and your child starts walking through the tape. The object of the game is to only step in the gaps, but not on the tape. They must walk this way until reaching the ending point. Again, this one is about body control, because they have to control their body to not step on the tape. Your kids will enjoy this game!

6. Ready! Set! Go!
This game is similar to red light, green light, in that one person is the caller that stands on one side and all of the other players stand on the other side. The caller will call "Ready! Set! Go!" and when the players hear that they start walking towards the caller. The catch to this game is that the caller must say "Go!" for players to go. The players have to listen and pay attention, because the caller may say something like, "Grow!" for instance and the players can't go. This game encourages listening skills as well, because you have to make sure you are listening for the right word.

7. Self-Control Bubbles
I saw this idea on the website listed below and I thought it was a great idea. First you get some bubbles and blow them for your kids. Then you tell them they can pop as many as they want to. The next go round you blow them, but tell them they cannot pop the bubbles, no matter how much they want to. It'll be interesting to see if your kids can resist popping bubbles!

Some of these ideas can be found here and here.

Happy Playing!
Destiny

Anxiety

Hello All,
      Today I am going to post about something that is very important to me, as is many of you as well: anxiety. Anxiety can, in some cases, be very debilitating. Anxiety lies on a spectrum and each person that has it experiences it differently.

     I just wanted to write this post to let anyone that is suffering with anxiety that they are not alone. This is a very difficult topic to talk about for many. Many people are afraid to talk about it because it is a very taboo topic in this country. That is what I wanted to talk about today. Why is mental health and anxiety such a taboo topic? Why are people so ashamed of it and ashamed to the point where they don't want to get help? I think the main reason it is so taboo is because people are uneducated about it. People think it is something to be afraid of. People think that people with anxiety and mental illness are crazy, deranged, psychopaths in some way.

     I'm here to say, that we are not. We are not in anyway. Here's what we are: people who are fighting incredibly huge battles in their minds day in and day out. Anxiety is a very tough thing to deal with. For some people, it can get to the point where, they don't want to leave their house. This is a very tough and very real topic and for most of us it gets treated like taboo and swept under the rug. I am writing today to say "Enough already!" We need to quit hiding and treating this like a taboo topic. We need to treat the topic and people who have anxiety like they are normal.

     If you look around you, I am willing to bet wherever you are, you are probably sitting in a room with someone who has anxiety. Even if you are sitting in a room by yourself, you may be the one with anxiety. I'm also willing to bet, that none of these people look like crazy people or deranged people. They probably look just like normal everyday people. Yet, the battle that goes on everyday is far from peaceful. It is usually a very crushing and frustrating battle that takes place everyday.

     There should be no shame in talking about anxiety or mental health. It is important that we talk about these things, especially with a therapist or someone that can help you. So, this is what I want to encourage from those of you suffering from anxiety. Please, if you can, seek help. It is so important. The more you live in shame, the more you are hurting yourself. The longer you wait to get help, the longer you have to suffer. Getting helping and talking about it is the only hope for most people. Talking about it can help you feel something that most people want anxiety or not, to feel understood. So, please, if you are suffering, suffer no more and talk to someone about it today!

Best Wishes,
Destiny

Fun Freebie Friday!

Fun Freebie Friday!
Hey Guys!
It's another Fun Freebie Friday for you! Today I am talking about book boxes! What is a book box you ask? Great question! A book box is a box where you put items that represent a children's book in it and you read the book to your child or to your class if you are a teacher like me and it becomes a great interactive tool for reading a book to your child. How do you make one you ask? Well, if you subscribe to my e-mail list, I'll tell you. Until then you can just look at mine for inspiration.

Happy Creating!
Destiny

Hoppy Easter!

Hey! Hey!
Since it is almost Easter I thought I would do a fun blog post about cool things to do for Easter. I know this year's Easter is a little different due to COVID-19, but hopefully everybody can still enjoy a little Easter fun pandemic or no pandemic. So here is a list of ideas from Pinterest that I thought the kiddos would enjoy for Easter.

1. Glow-in-the-dark Easter egg hunt
So, I saw this one on Pinterest and I thought this was a great idea! I'm sure many of you have seen it, but in case you haven't the idea is pretty simple. You get some glowsticks and plastic Easter eggs and you put the glowsticks in the Easter eggs and then hide them around the house and turn off the lights and let the kids have some Easter egg hunt fun! There is no link on Pinterest as to where this idea came from, but it appears you can get all of the items needed from Target.

2. Shaving Cream and Easter eggs
Y'all, this is a great sensory idea! If you are not one for mess, I wouldn't recommend it, but me personally, I love this idea! Barbasol is cheap and fun to play with! You could use a small kiddie pool or a large empty tub you have laying around your house. It's a great sensory bin especially for the littles that love to touch and feel and play with sensory stuff. Not only that, when it's finished your house smells great! Find the idea here.

3. Easter coupons
These are a great alternative for filling those eggs with something other than candy! The coupons are things that your kids would enjoy having and also better than buying them something material instead. What I love about these coupons is that there are time-spending coupons. More than material things, that is what our kids need the most - our time. Find these coupons here.

4. Color sorting eggs
This is a great idea, because you are doing an Easter activity, but your child is learning colors at the same time. Not only that, but it is a great way for them to practice fine motor skills and engages your little one in conversation. You could even encourage your child to make their own combos or play a game where you each take a turn making the combos as an extension to this activity. This is a step up from your regular Easter egg hunt and really gets your child engaged in learning the colors. Check it out here.

5. ABC Easter egg scavenger hunt
This is also an awesome idea that will get your child engaged in learning and doing something other than the traditional Easter egg hunt. The letter magnets are hidden inside the eggs and each time they find an egg they find a letter. Also, she provides a free printable letter mat for your kids to match the letter that they find to. Amazing activity all the way around. You can find it here.

6. Easter egg patterns
This game is a creative way to get your child to learn patterns. If you have a child that is Pre-K or a little bit older and is learning patterns, this is the game for you! I love any game that gets them having fun and learning, too because oftentimes littles are practicing a skill without realizing it. Not only can you talk about patterns, but your kids can make up their own patterns as well. Get in on the fun here.

7. Easter egg gross motor game
This is a fun one to get your kids moving around. I mean instead of zoning out in front of the iPad all day, why not get up and move around! Also, what's awesome about this game is it is not all gross motor stuff, there are also some other fun things that require no movement at all, like "sing the ABC's" that will encourage your kids to learn as well. Another fun one is "tell a joke," which I'm sure will encourage all kinds of silliness, fun and laughter from your little one. You can't go wrong with this one! It's here if you want to see this fun game!

8. Easter egg scavenger hunt
This is a cool one because you have to use the clues to find your eggs. You could also do a scavenger hunt to find your Easter basket as well. What's more fun than using clues to find hidden eggs with prizes inside? Nothing I'd say! It also engages your child's mind and helps build problem solving skills. To see this cool activity go here.

9. Plant flowers
What a great spring/Easter activity! What is so great about this activity is there is so much learning involved. Think about it, you could teach them about the process of planting a plant and then also the life cycle and parts of a plant. Not only that they can see progress made on something they took part in doing. Also, it teaches them responsibility. If they want the plant to grow, they have to water it. If they don't take responsibility and water it, the plant will die. Not only are there great ways for them to learn from this activity, but also it beautifies the Earth. You don't just have to do this at Easter, Earth Day is coming up as well. Even though this is a sensory bin, the idea was inspired by this post here.

10. Jelly bean science
I did this activity with my kids at school and they loved it! It is not only a cool science activity, but also a color sorting activity. First we took the jelly beans and sorted them into colors. Then we talked about what would happen if we put the jelly beans in a cup of water. After that I let each child put some jelly beans into a cup of water and we checked it out at various times of the day. Needles to say the water turned a weird brown-gray color and the jelly beans turned white. Yuck! But the kids had fun with it and that's all that mattered! Get in on the fun here.

11. Pin the tail on the bunny
Last, but not least, a classic with an Easter spin on it: Pin the tail on the bunny! You can do a more traditional version like the one here or in a learning game like this one. Either you choose should be fun for your kids. If you choose the learning game, you could teach them their colors as well.

Thanks for reading! I hope everyone has a safe and healthy Easter!

Until Next Time!
Destiny

Fun Freebie Friday!

Fun Freebie Friday!
Hello All,
So, today is my first Fun Freebie Friday! What is Fun Freebie Friday? you ask. Excellent question! Well, I'll tell you. Every Friday (or most Fridays, when life gets busy again!) I will post a Freebie for you to get. What's the catch? you ask. Another excellent question! You are on fire today! The catch is that you must subscribe to my blog in order to receive my freebie. Today's freebie: Popcorn Trail Mix. So due to a streak of creativity (or a large amount of boredom, depending on how you look at it!) I created my very own popcorn trail mix recipe. It contains: popcorn, pretzels, sunflower seeds, cranberries and chocolate (my favorite ingredient!). But if I tell you too much you won't sign up for the recipe. So, start signing up! Meanwhile here is a little picture to whet your appetite:

Thanks for Reading!

Destiny

Things to teach or do with your kids while homeschooling during COVID-19

Hello Friends,
     Today's blogpost is about none other than...COVID-19. This is a term we have seen a lot of lately and we are all suffering the consequences of it. Many of you are now forced to homeschool since your children are now out of school. Many of you are wondering, what you should do with your children during this time now that you have to homeschool and you have tons of time to spend with your children. Since, I am a teacher I thought I would post a few ideas to help those of you that are wracking your brain trying to come up with new ideas on how to teach your kids during this difficult time. Fear not! I have answers!

1. Go on a bear hunt
There are two ways to do this. You can do it in your home and put up the pictures on the wall or floor like these and these. This is a really fun game that will keep your children engaged and will call upon them to use their imagination. Also, a lot of people in different neighborhoods are putting bears in their windows, like this one so when the children go walking through the neighborhood the kids can find a bear. It's a great idea to combat boredom and to fuel young imaginations!

2. Life skills
Okay, so this may not be an idea that is geared towards the littles, but for those of you with middle school, junior high and certainly high school kids this is a great time to teach them those oh-so-important life skills. Things that as you go about your day to day life, you may not think about, because it is something that you as an adult already do and you may have forgotten that somebody had to teach you these things in the first place. Things like grocery shopping, money management and how to create a budget, time management, how to sew a button and other important life skills that they will need at some point or another. Now you may say that some skills are not easy to teach them right now with social distancing becoming the new norm and with everything being shut down right now, but grocery stores are still open. Think about how often your child drags along idly while they are engrossed in their phones or on their tablets. Meanwhile, they are missing out on an important life lesson, dragging behind you while you shop. Instead of lugging the tablet with you, go tablet free the next couple of times you go to the grocery store and teach them how to shop. How the store is layed out, how to check out and how to pay. It is a good idea to go to different locations of the same store (Wal-mart for instance) to show them that they may vary slightly in where they put stuff, but the layout is typically the same and so they can learn where things are in different stores for when they go shopping on their own. Also, it is a good idea to bring them to both a self-checkout lane and a lane that actually has a cashier in it. They can learn how to use a self-checkout lane and if something goes wrong, have them ask for assistance, after all you won't always be around to ask for them. Also, you can teach them how to key in something like produce, if they ever go shopping on their own. A lane with an actual cashier is good practice too because they get experience with talking to an actual clerk and if the clerk is friendly enough, it boosts their social skills by getting into a conversation with the clerk (also, they can talk to someone other than you, because you know social distancing). Either is good for them learning how to pay. I suggest having them pay with a credit card, especially now that credit cards have new chip technology instead of swiping like you used to. Also, learning how to pay with cash helps them work on counting money and making sure they receive the right amount of change. Bonus if the clerk double charges them or gives them the wrong amount of change back, because then they learn how to resolve a dispute with their receipt. Many lessons to be learned at the grocery store. Time management, money management and sewing on a button are all skills they will need some day especially for high schoolers going into college. Even if they don't go to college, they will still need these skills all the same. There are many more examples, but these are just a few to get you started.

3. Dance!
Hey, if you feel silly or like you have two left feet it doesn't matter because you are in your home and no one is watching! LOL! Anyway, in all seriousness, there are some great songs that you can dance to with your kids that get them dancing and learning at the same time. All of these songs are available on iTunes. Listen and Move, The Boogie Walk and The Freeze by Greg and Steve are all good songs to get your kids to move. Listen and Move is particularly good because it requires kids to listen and pay attention, which is a skill that they all need to learn! The CD, which is called We All Live Together Volume 2, also features The Number Rock, so they can learn their numbers and The Months of the Year in English and Spanish. Why not learn a second language during mandatory quarantine? Another great CD that I recommend is Jack Hartmann's Bop, Pop and Hip-Hop. I use this one all the time with my kids and they love it! Any of Jack Hartmann's CD's are great for getting the kids moving and learning at the same time. The Funky Freeze, Pump It Up Pokey, If You're Happy And You Know It and Teddy Bear Hip-Hop are all of my kids favorites. There are also learning songs on there like ABC Cha-Cha and Letter Sounds A to Z. Jack Hartmann also has many moving videos on YouTube if you need something to get their P.E. time in.

4. Sing!
Again, no need to be self-conscious, you are in your house after all. No need to get fancy because kids love all of the old classics like the ABC's, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, 5 little ducks, 5 little monkeys (anything that includes animals and the number 5, basically), The Itsy-Bitsy Spider and Row, Row, Row Your Boat. Any children's classic will do and they will sing along with you!

5. Make Music!
My kids love egg shakers! You can use those old Easter eggs you have laying around and some beans, beads or rice and tape them together so littles don't choke on beans and voila! Shaker egg! There are also tons of egg shaker videos on YouTube or there is this one here that I use in my classroom and my kids love it! But you can make music with any thing. If your nerves (and your ears) can handle it, let them bang on pots and pans! Also, do you remember making a guitar with a Kleenex box, paper towel tube and rubber bands? Okay, so a paper towel tube may be hard to come by these days because people are hoarding them in preparation for the zombie apocalypse I guess, but if you run across one it can be very versatile! Also you can make rain sticks with them. All you need are markers, stickers, cling wrap, beads or beans or something that makes noise and a rubber band. These are great to make music with or can have a very calming effect when tilted from side to side very slowly.

6. Read to them!
My kids love stories. If yours is very little and doesn't seem to sit still for a story, a great tip is to use a puppet! A puppet captures your child's attention and they stay focused on that story the whole time. Don't be afraid to get silly with it and use different voices, puppet or no puppet. My kids favorite book is The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf. They love the wolf voice I do and they love the huffing and puffing. Also, this is a great book to teach about emotions. Of course, if you don't have this book, any old book will do!

7. Learning games
Being that I am a teacher, these make up the majority of my lesson plans. I am going to share a few of them that my kids love! The first game idea is to put down a certain amount of shapes in a circle and the shapes can be any color (any shape can be used). Then you put on some music, I like to use the Funky Freeze song that was mentioned earlier, because it has a natural freeze in it, but any song will do. You and your child walk around in a circle on the shapes. When the music says "freeze" or you pause the song. Your child must name the color of the shape you landed on. Play continues until end of song. I believe I took this idea and tweaked it. My kids love our magnet board and the possibilities are endless! You can use them for songs and fingerplays and also to make up stories. You can print out images off the Internet and glue magnets to them and use these story starters here to help get you started. You can use finger puppet templates found on Pinterest to make magnets like these here or you can make your own from stock images you find on the Internet. Either way they are great for learning.  You can make color and shape matching games or go on a scavenger hunt for letters, shapes, numbers and colors. You can also use it to sort shapes. Don't have a magnet board you say? Use your refrigerator! And you can also use refrigerator magnets to help teach them their ABC's. Another great idea is to use any gross motor game. There are many on Pinterest, but the one I like is Shape Hopscotch, found here. Also, 5 little ducks and Lily Pad Number Hop are great games as well!
Last, but not least are Kleenex box games. All you need is an empty Kleenex box and printables from the website the game is featured on. Two great ones are Feed the Polar Bear and Feed Me Numbers. Last but not least I must mention the Pancake Game because my kids love it and they request it! These are just a few, but there are tons of them out there on Pinterest for you to choose from.

8. Dress up/Use your imagination
This one is fairly self-explanatory and it goes without saying that boys and girls alike, my kids LOVE dress-up (what kid doesn't?) Also you can: make up stories, build blanket forts, color on a giant piece of paper (or several small pieces of paper taped together) - this is great if you want a few minutes of peace to save your sanity! Trust me it works! And most importantly, have fun and be silly!

9. Arts and Crafts
You know all of those arts and crafts activities that are sitting on your Pinterest board collecting dust? Now's the time to do them! Any arts and crafts activity that will get you and your little ones imaginations flowing will be just perfect!

10. YouTube
Seriously, there are tons of learning videos on this website, from dance videos that get them up and moving to songs and fingerplays. In times like these YouTube is your best friend!

11. Puzzles and Board Games!
Another self-explanatory one, but I think puzzles and board games get lost and forgotten about in the day and age of iPads, electronics and phones. Now is a great time to reconnect with these old favorites. My kids love doing puzzles and will often do the same ones over and over again! Also many board games don't require batteries.

12. Yoga!
Another YouTube staple. There are TONS of yoga videos on YouTube for kids. In stressful times like these we all need a little yoga for relaxation! Om!

Whew! That is quite a list! I hope you find this exhaustive list quite helpful! If you run out of things to do after reading this list, I don't know what to tell you! Thanks for reading and I'll post something new real soon!

Until next time!
Destiny