live, learn and appreciate

In life we can learn to find peace, wisdom, love and innocence by not looking very far from where we stand. Often in adult life we forget to appreciate simple pleasures in life and take for granted things like love and kindness. We are so caught up in our own problems and in our own world. We don’t see the wisdom or learn the lesson until the moment has passed or sometimes it’s not until we are much older that we can look back and say “I get it”. It’s good practice to take a moment in life to pause and breathe in order to appreciate all that we have, our accomplishments, those who love us, and to just find peace.  Do whatever it is that you need to do to find peace even if it’s sitting quietly in a room of silence with a warm cup of tea. It’s hard to start meditation if you’ve never done it before but make an effort to dedicate 1 min a day to clear you brain and just be. For me its my Wednesday Yoga class where I get to release everything toxic I've been holding on to and then 10 mins of meditation that always leave me in a state of bliss. 

This week I read a story about Rose that made me smile. There are so many lessons to be taken from Rose’s story but the ones I love best are to follow your dreams, live life with no regrets and remain young at heart.  Finally I saw a video of a baby being bathed that filled me with peace and made me want to be innocent and pure like that again.  Enjoy and Namaste

An 87 Year Old College Student Named Rose
The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know.
I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned... round to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me
with a smile that lit up her entire being.
She said, "Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?"
I laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she gave me a giant squeeze.
"Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?" I asked.

She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids..."
"No seriously," I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.
"I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!" she told me.
After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.We became instant friends. Every day for the
next three months, we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this "time machine"
as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.
Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and
she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was
introduced and stepped up to the podium.
As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, "I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell
you what I know."
As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, "We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop
playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day.
You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.
We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!There is a huge difference between growing
older and growing up.
If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old.
If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.
Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change.
Have no regrets.
The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those
with regrets."
She concluded her speech by courageously singing "The Rose."
She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.
At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died
peacefully in her sleep.
Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's
never too late to be all you can possibly be .

When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice to your friends and family, they'll really enjoy it!
These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE.

REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.
We make a Living by what we get, We make a Life by what we give.

One of the Most Beautiful Videos you'll watch...

A true gift

I recently came across this photo and was in awe of how AMAZING this sculpture is.
The Artist who created this is known as SAM JINKS. He is truly gifted with talent!

To view more of his work you can visit his page: Sam Jinks Gallery

 

"Woman and Child"

silicone, silk, human hair. 2010

[image source: www.arttoart.com.au]

Do you know what your wearing?

It all started one day when I was pulling a black top out of the dryer  just as I was about to fold it I noticed that in the armpit area it had a metallic shine to it. I use this top A LOT for work since I have to wear black and naturally I wash it A LOT. Obviously this is the aluminum that is found in my antiperspirant. Which got me thinking that if I could see it on my shirt how much of this was being actually being absorbed into my body since I am directly applying it to my skin and have been doing so for years. This prompted a search for an aluminum free antiperspirant.  I haven’t been able to find one yet that can keep up with my level of activity. I have since switched over to Nivea for the time being but find myself reapplying after a vigorous workout at the gym.

I’ve switched a lot of my old beauty products in the last few months over to brands that are eco-friendly, natural, organic and animal friendly.  Currently my favorite line is Live Clean which has a great shampoo & conditioner, lotion and body wash. However, I want to take it one step further and do a complete makeover of my make case. A LOT of it has so much chemicals and other junk I don’t want on my skin, not to mention it’s probably been tested on animals.  So I’ve found a lot of great companies online that meet my needs as a makeup user. I’ll be buying a new haul of my makeup basics and testing it out. My goal here is to feel good about the products I use on my skin, I want to know that they are safe to use without the necessity of it being tested on animals but more importantly that it’s free of harsh chemicals that can do more harm than good to my body. Be good to your body, be aware of what your wearing.

 

I found this site really useful, lots of great info and they talk about ingredients to avoid.

organic beauty talk

 

Hello February!

Holy shiz batman!!! January came and left so fast! It's already February... Looking back on my January calendar I realized how little I worked out and how I let the winter lazies get the best of me.

A new month and a new fame of mind is here. I decided to choose a mantra for the month of February to help motivate me into getting this body moving.

"Summer bodies are earned in the Winter"

...but to take it a step further and make it more personal

"Caribana bodies are made in the winter"

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strongest Dad in the World

[Read First then watch the video at the end of the story]

I have come across this story a few times and every time it comes back to me and I read it again I am truly inspired and in awe of how amazing the human spirit is. I must warn you that it makes me tear up Every Time!

[Source: Sports illustrated]

I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay for their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots. But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.

Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.

Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. on a bike. Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life.

This love story began in Winchester, Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.

"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life," Dick says doctors told him and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. "Put him in an institution."

But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was anything to help the boy communicate. "No way," Dick says he was told. "There's nothing going on in his brain."

"Tell him a joke," Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a lot was going on in his brain.

Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? "Go Bruins!" And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the school organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, "Dad, I want to do that."

Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described "porker" who never ran more than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried. "Then it was me who was handicapped," Dick says. "I was sore for two weeks."

That day changed Rick's life. "Dad," he typed, "when we were running, it felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!"

And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.

"No way," Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then they found a way to get into the race officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the qualifying time for Boston the following year.

Then somebody said, "Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?"

How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick tried.

Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii. It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? "No way," he says. Dick does it purely for "the awesome feeling" he gets seeing Rick with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time.

"No question about it," Rick types. "My dad is the Father of the Century."

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries was 95% clogged. "If you hadn't been in such great shape," one doctor told him, "you probably would've died 15 years ago."

So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.

Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass., always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.

That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.

"The thing I'd most like," Rick types, "is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once."

 

 

Love is the most beautiful gift we can give

ღ Namaste!

 

Dream a little dream

Looking at these pictures makes me want to go away; I haven’t gone to a beach in about two years. I think I’m due for some sun, sand and relaxation. Sigh, a girl could only dream...

Long time no see

Dear: Blogger

It's been about 3 years since my last post... Please forgive me, this is my confession.

Yeah, I know it's been long and really sooo much has happened since. Over the holidays I came back to my blog and started reading some of the older stuff I had posted and I  realized how much I miss writing, sharing stories and information that interests me.

I stopped writing and for a stupid reason too, but I promise I won’t go away for this long again. I enjoy the time I spend on here. So YES I’m back!

I’m really pleased to see the changes that have happened on blogger since my hiatus. This is why I took most of January to edit and change the look of my blog. I’m really pleased with the fresh look and colours I’ve selected and I especially love that can keep my posts in a somewhat organized fashion with the tabs I’ve put in place.

Thanks for coming by...

Killa hearts you

I’m really excited to share this link everyone... One of my dearest girlfriends has been making jewelry for a while and she finally has launched a website! 

So Ladies and men (for the special lady in your life) if you’re in the market for some NEW Earrings or Arm Candy… Check out Killa Hearts You

Killa Hearts You

Your ears and wrists will Thank you!!!

 

Water Marble nails

I’ve been seeing a lot of tutorial videos on Water Mable Nails. The results are pretty cool and it seems pretty easy to do but I have yet to try my hand at it. I’ve attaching a YouTube video for those who are not familiar with water marble nails. I like the girl who does this particular video and I’ve seen a few of her videos.  This is a Valentines day inspired video.

 

“I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls” – Audrey Hepburn

 

Winter workout

These are the two pictures I have set on my lock screen and home screen on my iPad and iPhone.

 They are my motivation for the month of January. I find that with the colder months like January & February sometimes it’s harder to get out of bed in the morning because you feel so warm and cozy.

 

 

"Summer bodies are made in the winter" - (unknown) 

 

Tomato, tomaato!

A simple guide on how to buy tomatoes

Health Benefits & Caprese Salad

 

10 Health Benefits from Eating Tomatoes

1. Tomatoes are good for your skin. Tomatoes contain a high level of lycopene, which is a substance that is used in some of the more pricy facial cleansers that are available for purchase over-the-counter. If you want to try tomatoes for skin care, you need to start with about eight to twelve tomatoes. Peel the tomatoes and then place the skin on your face with inside of the tomato touching your skin. Leave the tomatoes on your face for a minimum of ten minutes, then wash. Your face will feel clean and shiny. Some redness may occur, but should fade with time.

2. Tomatoes help prevent several types of cancer. A number of studies have been conducted that indicate that the high levels of lycopene in tomatoes works to reduce your chances of developing prostate, colorectal and stomach cancer. Lycopene is a natural antioxidant that works effectively to slow the growth of cancerous cells. Cooked tomatoes produce even more lycopene, so go ahead and cook up a batch of your mom’s famous tomato soup.

3. Tomatoes help maintain strong bones. Tomatoes contain a considerable amount of calcium and Vitamin K. Both of these nutrients are essential in strengthening and performing minor repairs on the bones as well as the bone tissue.

4. Tomatoes help repair damage caused by smoking. No, eating tomatoes is not the most recent fad to help you quit smoking. However, tomatoes can reduce the amount of damaged done to your body by smoking cigarettes. Tomatoes contain coumaric acid and chlorogenic acid that work to protect the body from carcinogens that are produced from cigarette smoke.

5. Tomatoes provide essential antioxidants. Tomatoes contain a great deal of Vitamin A and Vitamin C. This is primarily because these vitamins and beta-carotene work as antioxidants to neutralize harmful free radicals in the blood. Free radicals in the blood stream are dangerous because it may lead to cell damage. Remember, the redder the tomato you eat is, the more beta-carotene it contains. In addition, you also want to keep in mind that cooking destroys the Vitamin C, so for these benefits, the tomatoes need to be eaten raw.

6. Tomatoes are good for your heart. Because of the Vitamin B and potassium in tomatoes, they are effective in reducing cholesterol levels and lowering blood pressure. Therefore, by including tomatoes in your regular balanced diet you can effectively prevent heart attacks, strokes as well as many other heart related problems that may threaten your life.

7. Tomatoes are good for your hair. The Vitamin A in tomatoes works perfectly to keep your hair shiny and strong. In addition, it also does wonders for your eyes, skin, bones and teeth.

8. Tomatoes are good for your kidneys. Adding tomatoes without seeds to your diet has been proven in some studies to reduce the risk of kidney stones.

9. Tomatoes are good for your eyes. The Vitamin A found in tomatoes is fantastic for improving your vision. In addition, eating tomatoes is one of the best foods to eat to prevent the development of night blindness.

10. Tomatoes are good for diabetics. Tomatoes are packed full of the valuable mineral known as chromium. It works effectively to help diabetics keep their blood sugar levels under better control.

 

Tomato & Basil Caprese Salad

Ingredients:

Tomatoes

Fresh Basil

Balsamic vinegar

Extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Black pepper

 

Directions:

Slice tomatoes or cut into halves if using cherry tomatoes

Shred basil leaves

Cut mozzarella into slices or small cubes (optional)

To make vinaigrette:

Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil over tomatoes

A few splashes of balsamic vinegar

Add Salt and black pepper  to taste ( I prefer fresh ground pepper)

 

Bon Appétit!

 

 

My to-do list

Keep it simple, Keep it real & just breath.

 

 

ღ  Namaste!

Life happens

 

These are two life lessons I have learned in the last few years, I use to try to live life according to a time line I had set out for myself. This was a recipe for disappointment, mainly because would focus on what wasn’t accomplished as a failure. I have since learned that nothing ever goes to plan, things change, life happens. Just like the wind we can’t control which way it will flow but we can use the wind to our advantage to guide our sail in the direction we want to travel in.

 

At any given moment YOU have the POWER to say

"This is NOT how the story is going END"

 

~ Christine Mason Miller ~

 

 

We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned,

so as to have the life that is waiting for us.

 

~ Joseph Campbell ~

Fruit Wars!

I've done it!!!
I switched over from a Blackberry to an Apple iPhone. I had a great relationship with my BB and it occasionally had its issues but overall I was content and satisfied with it. However, my contract was up this month and it was time to think about an upgrade. Yes, I could have gone with a newer BB... let's say the torch. But in all honesty I've been eyeing the iPhone in the last couple months and I've also been hearing people talk about how awesome the apps are. What really grabbed my attention was the medical apps. Long story short I made up my mind and decided to test it out.I LOVE IT!!!!

Dear: iPhone. Where have you been all my life???

I've only been playing around with it this evening trying to get familiar with it and Im already loving it. I dont even feel sad about switching over from my BB. Usually I reminisce about features on my old phone when I get a new one.... Nuh uh! Not this time I can't wait to fully discover all the awesome stuff my iPhone4 can do :)

"Life was easier when Blackberry and Apple were just fruit" but I am loving my Apple.

Happy Birthday 29th Michelle!

The Girls out for Michelles 29th Birthday dinner.
After not seeing eachother since the last birthday bash in August ( there were other occasions in between but not all of us were there) we finally saw eachother and as always its as if time never went by... We can always pick up from the last time and it never feels like we were ever apart for how ever long it might have been. Thats the GREAT thing about having a FABULOUS group of friends, time never exists and the friendship only grows stronger.

It was an exciting night because not only were we there to celebrate a birthday with our girlfriend but we celebrated her engagement to Glen (another Fabulous addition to the group) which happend the weekend prior to Michelles birthday! So Exciting !!!

The food was delish! and the price for the amount of food was great... the service was lacking, however I have to say I think the fact that we went late may have played a part in that... I can understand that the employees were wanting to get out Asap... I'll have to try it again at an earlier time to make my final conclusion.... Overall always a great night with the ladies

Introducing Mia

The Bobbsey Twins -Baby (left) & Mia (Right)


For thanksgiving this year I got a new dog which I have named Mia. She a Bichon-Poo (my dream dog) and the sweetest ball of fur I have ever met.

My family decided that it was time for Baby our other dog ( 4 yr old, jack-a-poo) to have a playmate and sister if you will. Baby is one of those dogs that is more of a house dog and she was starting to believe that she was human. She needed another dog in her life to make her social with other dogs and to remind her that she IS also a dog.

The first week was rough on baby, she couldnt even be in the same room as Mia... Since I was the one who went to pick up Mia from the breeder she quickly adopted me as her mom. Baby ofcourse noticed and resented me for at least 2weeks because Mia required more of my attention. However, Baby has since warmed up to Mia, about the 3rd week in she was coming around a bit more... I think she finally realized that this new pup in town was here for good !

Now after 6 weeks they play, eat, walk and do everything together (like the bobbsey twins) its really cute to see them sharing treats, toys and doggie beds. They care and give each other eskimo kisses... I decided to enroll Mia into puppy school and when she comes home I like to practice her homework with her, Baby like to join in too.

Mia has really helped bring Baby back to behaving like a real dog... She is a blessing to our lives and shes My little girl.



Welcome Home Mia !

The BIG one

So I officially graduated from college in June and I am now an alumni member who proudly holds her diploma. Although it may seem that this is where it ends, it doesn't. I have been frantically stressed the last few weeks over the exam that matters the most. I have been studying and doubting that the amount of time I study is still not good enough.

So I am now two days away from writting an exam that is a full day 6hrs aprox. and 2 yrs worth of material. According to my exam prep book, which has been a most useful resource... I will do great, cus Ive been doing well on the quiz questions. However, even though I know the material, do great on the quizes and have been doing extra readings along with practice questions.... I some how find myself not feeling sufficiently prepared.

Hiatus

Hiatus

So I went on hiatus from blogging for the last few months but I’m back! Lots went on since the start of the year … The two best things that happened so far were

1) I Turned 29! I officially am the NEW 19 ha-ha

2) I finally graduated from NUSRING!!!! Woo hoo

I’m trying to organize myself again the busy months of school and pre-graduate work made my life a bit hectic and my room is a BIG mess, my files are a BIG mess, and I just need to get it all sorted again. I feel like I need to go on a well deserved vacation. I’m so glad to be back

Happy New Year!!! 2010

I rang in the New Year with my parents, brother and my boyfriend at home. It was quiet and relaxed; we had dinner and ate paella, chipotle shrimp, two kinds of salad and wine. We talked a lot over dinner, rang in the New Year and ended the night with a board game. Today I had lunch with some of my gf we were going to go to the movies but it was such lazy day and I still had tons of food at my house so I had them come over for lunch. We talked lots about babies in our families, maternal clocks, weddings and working out, vitamins, cooking and many other things.

2009 was a great year; I am pleased with everything that happened… I learned so much in school this past year and had so many experiences working at the hospital. I traveled with my bf to new places and saw many, many, many awesome concerts. Met new people, found a job, joined a gym and the absolute best thing that happened is that I fell in love with an amazing guy. I am really lucky to have great friends and this summer was the first time that all the girls were together again. I’m really excited and looking forward to see what the New Year will bring for me… and I’m anticipating graduation day.

This Years Hopes- 2010 I hope to...
1. Be able to go visit my family in the motherland
2. Keep my part time job (School will be a lot more demanding this last semester)

2009 Last Year
Best Things that Happened:
1. Falling in love with B
2 . Going to Cuba and Montreal
3. Entering my final year of nursing and completing semester 3 with sweet marks

Worst thing that Happened in 2009:
1. Getting a neurotoxic infection in my leg from a coral reef while snorkeling

My 10 List for 2010...
1. Finish my last semester of Nursing, Graduation!!! (I’m ¾ done)
2. Pay off Visa
3. Pay off my student loan
4. Get back into shape
5. Get a new puppy
6. Get my license
7. Find a job in my profession
8. Start saving money for a down payment
9. Go to Mexico
10. Get a tattoo

Alexia turns 2!! ...Wow

Looking for a gift for a two year old proved to be more challenging than I had anticipated. I thought that getting a toy would be easy but the reality is that I didn’t know what she would like or what was suitable for a smart kid. B and I finally ended up getting her some books for reading and some for coloring and it was “a great success”. She loved them and I read them to her several times over. Although not all the family was there (my cousin missed out due to the flu) Alexia is very lucky to have family with her lots of great pressies and yummy home made cake. Happy Birthday Cutie!